New-York tribune., 1872-03-21
1NONYMONS 1881 ILTS.

Our remarks on the Miller case, anu the duty
of journalists i'm connection with attacks upon
personal reputation, have been made the text
of a great deal of discussion in various quar-
ters, and the sentiment of our professional
brethren seems to be strongly on our side.
There has been here and there, however, n
misconception of our position, and it may not
be amiss for lis to restate it, We recognize.
then, the obligation of confidence between an
editor and his assistants, and we have repeat
cdly given practical proof OF our determination
to respect it at whatever cost to ourselves
But we hold it to be the duty Of Journalist
to make no charges for which he cannot pre-
sent the evidence before competent trl-
bunal; to accept no injurious reports whose
authors are not willing to come for
ward and prove what they say; and
to expose no man to attack without
giving him the opportunity to vindcate HIM
self by confronting his accuser. If witness
goes to the editor Ill his office, and cOnvnceS
him that suclI-and such a man is rascal, the
editor is bound. before publishing the story.
either to have it understood that the name OF
the witness shall be given up if it be legally
demanded, or to investigate the case himself
and get other evidence, so that the charge
tain it. The reason is very plain. All men
are liable to Mistakes courts even are not
infallibie; iuries have sometimes convicted the
innocent; and common justice demands that
no one shall be condemned without the most
careful sitting of proofs and the fullest
facilities for making defense. The
case of The Times and the man Ballard is
striking illustration of the necessity of such
a rule. We have no doubt that the editor of
The Times was convinced of Miller's guilt, and
put implicit trust in Billiards. integrity. But
the sequel has shown that the Judgment of the
editor of The Times was worthless. Ballard
was scamp of the meanest kind, taking
money from both sides, and The Times, while
it allowed him to frame its editorial opinions
and WELD the whole mysterious power of
metropolitan daily journal, was ignorant OF
his antecedents, ignorant of his occupation,
and even ignorant of his name. We see no
reason why any graduate of Sing Sing or pro-
fessional backmailer should not be allowed to
operate through The Times in the same manner.
Our only wonder is that an editor of such con-
Gding temper and such reckless readiness for
abuse has not been many time involved in
still more serious scandals than the present. If
make charges which it could not prove, and Mr..
Ballard Browning had been told that he must
not write articles, which he was not ready to
substantiate this blot upon journalism would
have been spared. We should not have seen
great newspaper becoming the filthy chan
mel of personal venom, and the influence of an
honest press jeOparded by such shocking abuses
of its power.
No one will accuse THF TRIBUNE of viOlat-
ing confidence; yet in all the charges we have,
on our own responsibility, made against
prominent mcn-and we have made great
many-we have been ready with our wit
nesscs whenever called upon. We asserted
that abuses existed in the NewYork Gus
tom-bousc, and when we were asked for
our proof we gave it, and our statements were
found true We accused DIR. CanOchan of
opprcssing the commerce of the port; we gave
ample testimony to support the charge I; and
again Our statements were found true We
charged Terwilligcr with dishonesty. and on
the evidence which we furnished and what fol-
lowed he was turned out of his place at Albany.
We charged Cushman with dishonesty, and on
our evidence he was turned out of the Clerks
Office of the House of Representatives. We
charged Senator Wood with taking bribes and
substantiated our accusation, and if he is not
expelled from the Legislature it will be II
disgrace for which we at any rate, cannot be
held responsible We charged judges barnard
and Cardozo with 0flenses that should drive
them from the bench and, on the request OF the
Committee, have given the Bar Association
proofs that will do il, unless the Legislature
deals with them as with Wood. Sometimes we
have made mistakes-as who has not-but we
have always been ready to give our authorities,
! aud VIC believe they have always proved w DO