The New York herald., 1872-09-18

whose chief instruments of warfare are abuse
and defamation, weapons which are true expo
nents of the coarseness of their own ma
lures" In another editorial one New York
republican daily is declared to be ''chiefy
dredging machine for the mud mixed by" the
other; the managers of both are denounced as
''slanderers by trade" 'two habitual hbellers,"
the retailers of ''mere lies from beginning to
end, the "inventors of cock-and-bull stories,"
"disreputable Bohemians," "Greeley's un-
scrupulous rowdies and hacks" while one is
set down as the parasite" of the other, only
''far worse, inasmuch as he goes about lectur-
ing on the decencies of journalism, while him
self being a professional defamer." This is
the dose supplied to respectable and sensible
readers of the daily newspaper by one partisan
organ in this city to-day, and it is moderate
and decent as compared with the general tone
of the same journal since the commencement
of the Presidential campaign. In what light
can foreigners view the American people and
the American press, judged by such specimens
as this?
The journalists who descend to this mode of
political warfare do not understand either the
character of the American people or the bust
ness they have adopted in this country Per-
sonal abuse Injuries the party using it more
than those against whom it is directed. Early
in the present campaign we warned the liberal
papers and orators that the attacks upon Cen
eral Grants personal habits would make votes
for the administration, and they were not slow
to recognize the soundness of our advice and
to profit by it. The indiscriminate abuse and
vili6cation of all our public men by the press
and the echo of the ISLANDERS and assaults by
oratorical popinjays from every beer house
barrel are disgraceful to us as people. They
degrade us in our own estimation and they dis
honor us abroad where men and parties differ
and discuss their differences courteously and
decorously. The same evil now prevalent in
the partisan press was observable some few
years since in Congress, but happily stricter
rules, better Judgment and the removal of the
exciting cause Of slavery have made the dis
graceful scenes of fourteen or fifteen years ago
now rare in our halls of national legislation.
It would be well if many of the
journalists of the country could be taught
the decency recently instilled into Congress
Certainly the success Of the business in which
they are engaged would profit by the reform.
The HERALD, as an Independent paper, dis
cusses all political issues and praises or blames
as its judgment dictates; but it finds no reason
to descend into the mire Of personal abuse,
and fails to see how it could strengthen it's
arguments by such debasing resort Its
success should convince its contemporaries of
the actual profit, as well as the credit of pur-
suing a digni6ed and courteous tone towards
those who differ with them in their political
sentiments and of supplying their readers with
something else than a daily repetition of politi-
cal slang and gross personalities through
column after column of their papers. On
Sunday last our advertisements filed fifty
columns of the HERALD-an increase Of thir-
teen columns over the same day of las.
year. The circulation at the same time
showed an increase of over twenty thousand
Our contemporaries are no doubt, prosper
ing in the general growth and progress
OF the city as we ourselves are; but we be-
lieve that they would increase their business
success by q better appreciation of the true
character of journalism and the abjuring of
the personalities and vulgar abuse that now
disgrace a portion of the partisan press.
There is much of interest to which they can
now turn their attention, to their own and
their neighbors' advantage. The prosperity of
the city, the increase of the population, the
advance in the value of real estate, the bril-
liant promises of the coming season, which
brings us Lucca in song Yates in lectur-
ing, Bellew in public reading, and
the Boucicaults on the stage; all these
topics form interesting and inexhaustible
themes for the daily paper and more agreeable
reading for the people than the squabbles of
politicians and the Bombastes-like quarrels Of
editors whom few people know and for whom
fewer care. Let our Contemporaries follow
our example, cool their tempers, reform their
vocabulary and discuss the many subjects we
have suggested to them in an intelligent man.
ner and they will win brighter laurels for
themselves, do better service to their party
friends and raise the character of American
journalism which they are now doing their
best to disgrace.
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