The New York herald., 1871-01-06
"A Worry Pretty Quarrel as II stands.~

L - SOsS &sOsst XaurrOh No ~ St~usAns
In former times certain newspaper people
were wont to become so enamored of each
other and kept up such continual chain Of
laudatory mention of each others merits and
talents that they created what was termed a
Mutual Admiration Society,"" to which none
but mutual admirers, with bumps of self-esteem
largely developed, were admitted Nowadays,
however, tho plan seems to bs changed, and
the Mutual Admiration Society" to have
given up the ghost to what may be called
among certain class of newspaper men in
this city ''Mutual Abuse Society,"" whose
principal object appears to be to wash
each others soled linen in public and make
the columns of their respective journals con-
dut through which to carry off the uncleanly
suds.
This is the case at the present time with the
Tribune, Times, World, Sun and Standard,
with the bright little Sun as the scapegoat of ALL
It Is indeed curious to see a newspaper like the
Tribune assailing contemporary on charges of
corruption when the fact is that its own editors
and some of its stockholders are reekng with
the spoils of lobby jobs, Congressional gun
contracts, fat federal Offices and other public
plunder. And now catchpenny 6rochUre
appears in the shape of spiteful little PAM
phet pretending to portray certain alleged ter
giversations on the part of the managing
editor of the Sun and exposing other family
Secrets all arranged, it appears, in apple-pie
order by certain discarded employees of the
Iosl 1,,prs Ill
against the integrity of the Suns people we
are glad to find that the name Of the editor-in-
Chief Mr.. Dana, is in no way compromised,
and that his reputation as straightforward,
unpurchasable journalist remains untarnished
But if these statements be true there Is an
indication that Mr. Dana lacks at least two
essential qualifications for perfect journal
ist-namely, flrmness and a faculty to organ
ize discipline. Without discipline and
certain degree of decision and irmness no
respectfully established newspaper can run
long without corruption creeping in some
where and the whole machinery finally becom-
ing rickety and out of order. If Mr.. Dana had
reason to believe that his managing editor
was open to the charges of bribery preferred
against him he should at once have dismissed
| him from his Office and notified all other jour
nalists of his shortcomings Indeed, we ore
not sure but it would be good thing for
| the proprietors of all leading papers to
| unite in league to refuse employment to
persons accused, upon well established
grounds, of bribery and other serious NAL
practices while in the discharge of confidential
and responsible duties in newspaper establish
ments. 1t is very true that newspaper writer's
in this day are exposed to more temptations
than aver fell to ths lot Of the earlier kaghis 81
the qnill There are the stock-jobbing tempter
and the gold operating tenpter and the cotton
speculating tempter Of Wall street, the bread
stuffs and provisions tempter Of the Pro-
duce Exchange, the railroad grant tempter,
the old fossil claims tempter, the job con-
tract tempter, the patent street pavement
tempter, the street railroad tempter, but,
above all, the tempter par eccellence- the
very Bceizebub of bribe offerers--the unscru-
pulous politician, who, with plethoric wealth
at command, tempts some poor newspaper
subordinate from the strict paths of rectitude.
There are some newspaper people, however,
who make no disguise Of their weakness in the
matter of bribery and openly boast of their
achievements in that line; but these are of the
| seedy, irresponsible, Bohemian class, who are
obliged to live by their wits SO long as that
feeble capital lasts.
Now, while it is mortifying to be compelled TO
read these charges Of bribery and corruption
banded between our contemporaries, we want
to ask what does the great public care about
themS What does great reading community
| like New York care whether this man of
the Sun has taken FIVE thousand dollars
| from tempter like Boss Tweed, or that man
| of the Tribune has taken one thousand dol
lars for some twaddle or other, or the other
man of the Standard has become the victim
| of misplaced confidence which others reposed
| in him-what does the reading public of New
| York, we repeat, care about all these abusive
charges, these ordinations and recriminations
which now disgrace the columns of city papers
We warrant that, after the first titillating SEN
sation arising from the fun Of the fight is over,
| the people as mass feel humilated at wit
Messing these demoralzing newspaper quar-
| rels.
1t is the mission Of great newspaper to
give the news Of the day, to daily report all
| prominent occurrences, to keep the public
| mind enlightened in regard to all events of
| Importance that take place, not only within
its own especial sphere, but upon the environs
| of civilization, and even beyond; in short, to
daily photograph the movements of mankind
| all over creation This is the mission of a