The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-01-28
liam Hall, Augusta, on Wednesday,
LanuarS %. 1874
The Abuses and Perils Of Journalism.

1t is serious misfortune that public dis
cussion should have assumed so low a tone,
as has been observable during the past two
years. The decadence is attributable to the fact
that since the adoption of the Fifteenth Con-
stitutional amendment, there has really been
no great issue to divide the country into OPP
posing political organizations. Consequently
the last Presidential election was contested by
resort to low personalities and was charac-
terized by brutality and mendacity of as
sault, repulsive not merely to morality, but to
common decency. No incumbent OF Office
however exalted his station, or however pure
his character was exempted from the rbald
abuse of scurrilous penny-a-liners. The des-
perate necessities of hungry coalition Great
ed a market for coarse gable about public
men, and hucksters of the pen spralg up, in
every purlieu of the capital, foul enough of
tongue to minister to the most Unsuitable pru-
riency. The decorous Washington CORES.
pondent of earlier days, who was wont to
present truthful pictures of current events
and to speak of the gentlemen comprising the
s~'SA"A OA@hSACo III Vic SOtCLLuCut Will Uc-
coming respect, has been superseded by the
mousing eaves-dropper and impudent Be-
hemian, who spares neither rank nor sex in
his effort to give piquant flavor to vulgar
lampoon.
The blame for this melancholy state of
things rests far less upon the poor creatures
who earn their bread by the coinage of this
spurious tender than upon newspaper proprie-
tors, who hire them aid utter their forged to-
kens. When great journals in New York,
Cincinnati, Chicago and Louisville give ready
publicity to every sneaking paragraph, how
ever inherently mprobable-whch inveighs
against the President, cabinet minister, a
Senator or Representative, they encourage
a continued manufacture of such unwhole
some wares. 1t is quite possible they may
find temporary account in this sort of thing
In the enlargement of their circle of scandal
loving readers, but they are inficting an irrep-
arabic wound upon the dignity and influence
OF the press, and gradually deprivng it of
all power for usefulness. The time may
come when there will be real abuses to
denounce, actual evils to suppress, when pub
lie opinion will need enlightenment and
public virtue effective leadership. Of what
valne, then will be the teachings of editors,
who have lost all claim to popular confidence
by allowing their columns to sink into mere
sewers of vituperation and calumny?
During the last Presidential campaign the
opponents Of the administration wara itar-
ally graveled for want of rallying cry.
There was nothing to fight about. And so
they were tempted to resort to the fabrication
of petty items of gossip, derogatory to the
prominent men in power. The air was thick
with stories affecting the honor or integrity
of this and that official. The libelled parties
turned upon their miserable tladucers with
such crushing force that they were absolute
ly pulverized irto silence. Every body re
members, and especially everybody in Maine,
where the decisive battle was fought, how
swiftly the tide of indignation set against the
unlucky stump orators, who, as they un-
folded their budget of lies, were confronted
by facts till they were driven from assault to
defense and finally put to flight No polit-
ical combination of the century ever met
with such an ignominious defeat, or sunk
into such universal contempt.
Still, that demoralizing campaign gave rise
to species of newspaper literature, which
ought to be promptly and speedily extirpated.
Having once fallen into the habit of dealing
in SANDER, these Grubstreet journalists will
not abandon their shameful calling until
Their tales cease to command pelf. As long
as the papers thrive, that lend their columns
to the dissemination of such pitiful stuff,
the Capital of the Nation will be infested
with the tattlers who subsist by furnishing it.
Contradiction is out of the question, for it
would give the witnesses a certain standing
in court, which is precisely what they covet.
Besides, it would be waste of time. While
an honest man is exposing single lie, one
of these fellows can invent dozen.
Occasionally, some man of extraordinary
credulity may be found, who is deceived by
the multitude and variety of these repeated
allegations into the apprehension that they
bear some semblance of truth. Not great
while ago we met gentleman, who inquired
with apparent seriousness whether it was q
fact that the Presidents cook was on the paw
roll OF the Army and that the Presidents
horses were fed at the public expense? Upon
asking him what ground he had for en- ter
tanning such a preposterous suppos ition. he
innocently remarked that he had read it in
some newspaper! We confess to degree of
surprise, not unmingled with disgust at the
idea that there was man living, outside of
Lunatic Asylum, who could conceive of the
possibility of conspiracy between the Presi-
dent Of the United States and the General of
the Army to defraud the government by the
commission of petty larceny! Nevertheless
this is sample of many hundreds of ridicu-
lous hctions, which constantly find their way
into print, and bring reproach and shame up
on their circulators.
1t is not because such gross calumn;as can
do any injury to the objects of them that wa
deprecate their publication. The country at
large has declared with unmistakable empha-
sis, how little credence 1t bestows on ISLANDERS
so palpable that their absurdity constitutes
sufficient refutation of them. But it is lam
Shs"SNS en"S eho PiOsS3 WHICH OuSuG 10 DC a
potent organ Of public opinion should have
degenerated to so great degree into mere
vehicle of petty scurrilites and offensive per-
sonalities. Grave questions of state policy
now claim the calm elaboration of the people.
The financial topic is one of absorbing inter-
est, and demands thoughtful and temperate
discussion. 1t is in no sense party issue.
Democrats and Republicans are arrayed, with
equal earnestness, on the side of imitation
and of contraction, and yet how few of the
anti-administration sheets address themselves
to this impartial theme, with any indication
OF purpose to treat 1t in the broad spirit of
patriotism and common sense. We read in
s1eao, elaborate Misrepresentation Of the
state OF the Treasury Department, splenetic
nlngs at the Secretary, wholesale arrangement
ofevery head of Department, and one general
croak of indiscriminate fault finding alike in.
opportune ard in bad taste.
The imperative need of the hour ;s , r,,r;
fication of the 'third estate of the realm ,,
American journalism requires the Infusion of