Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-06-25
Mr.. Smiths Address.

Below we give the principal portion
of the speech delivered by Richard
Smith. editor of the Cincinnati Gazette,
at the splendid banquet given to the
Editors of the Ohio Valley Editorial
Association, in Chillicothe, on the
evening of the 10th inst EDS HER
AID.
Mr. Smith said, as newspapers are
read by the great mass of those capa-
BILE of reading, and are regular visitors
in a majority of families, they have a
capacity for moulding public sentiment
that cannot be overestimated l think
this influence is underestimated by ed
itors, and that therefore they do not
fully realize their esponsibilities.-
Otherwise the press, ! am ready to be-
lieve, would be far more powerful
engine for good than it is. There is,
unfortunately, large class that desire
publications that are low and vulgar
Evidence of this is to be seen in every
large city, and there is further evidence
of it in our statute books, where laws
are to be found against obscene publi-
NchGlOb0- AGCS 1OG 0bOp W dSSCEISG
the character of the man who would
deliberately write and publish matter
that the State has felt constrained to
prohibit, in the interest of society
He certainly has not a conscience, or
if he has, he does not follow it's promt-
ings. There are such beasts, however,
and they call themselves editors and,
if they do not prostitute their calling,
they certainly do prostitute the mate
rials used in disseminating the product
of filthy minds. OF course, there are
few newspapers, properly so called,
that descend to this low level. I have
called attention to it for the purpose
of showing that there is a large de
mand for publications of that Glass; and
that, therefore, there is strong temp
tation for editors, while maintaining
the general respectability of their jour
nails, to lean in that direction in order
to catch the custom Of the class whose
minds are corrupt and whose tastes
are low. It is fact, too, that this taste
is not confined to those who are Who'll
ly depraved. Many people who would
denounce very loudly publications Of
the character to which [ have referred,
read them on the sly, and make excuses
for reading, regularly, papers that droI
below an admissible standard, in or
der to catch with one corner of theil
sheet the patronage of the impure. Il
is no small matter then for editors to
resist the demand for vulgar reading
but the conscientious editor will resist
especially if he considers that he is
personally responsible to his neigh
bors and society for the influence exer
cised by his paper. No man has {
right to inject poison into his neigh
boris food; neither has he a right tc
corrupt his neighbor's children. When
therefore, an editor has an inclination
to print an Objectionable or doubtful ar
ticle or paragraph, he should ask him
self whether he would be willing t.
read it aloud to his wife and children
If this rule were applied, the column:
of newspapers would be substantially
unobjectionable. do not pretend tc
say that nothing should, under am
circumstances, be discussed or printed
t in a newspaper that might not will
propriety be discussed or read alouC
in the family or in promiscuous as
sembly, but the rule to which I hav
referred can generally be applied with
out curtailing the legitimate proVinc
of the press. An esteemed friend ant
! an experienced editor, referring to th
point upon which have been speak
ing, in an address to editors in an ad
{ joining State, advised his brethren
that if they had any doubts as to tn
propriety of printing an article of
vulgar character to take it home an
ask their wives. l cheerfully adop
that advice, and if the endorsement
Is makes it more valuable it is at you
service.
The press is also at fault, think, i
increasing its privileges in regard t
personal matters; or, in other words
in admitting TO their columns article
e rejecting upon the private characte
There is law in France prohibitin
the naming Of citizens in the newspt
pers. In this country the law of libe
is the only restraint. 1 would not hav
IS the freedom of the press abridged i
q this respect, by law, but I would hav
a the profession elevated to level fror
i which the privilege would not
Q. abused. The indiscriminate abuse {
le public men and candidates for publ
m m office is the most formidable evil to b
e referred to in this connection. Yo
II are aware that the best citizens are o
ten prevented from accepting a nom
nation for Office because the oppos
ton press do not hesitate, in yer
B. B. many cases, to misrepresent them; t