National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-20
THE DETECTIVE PRESS,

THE DETECTIVE PRESS.
To be good reporter, to excel as cor
respondent, and, in short, to reach emf
nence in the news gathering departments
of journalism, if not in its other depart
ments, one must be something of detec-
tive. Tie keen scent, the quick concep-
ton ard the rapid concentration Of ideas or
facts required to catch a thief, are also
otentimes required to properly trace bit
of information. 1t is, therefore, not 10 be
wondered at that men designed by nature
and education to be successful detectives
sometimes become successful journalists.
But of this class there are good and bad, as
there are good and bad detectives. There
are those who use their especial gifts with
due regard for the responsibilities, the
honor, and the important influence OF their
profession. There are others who use
them to build up vile conspiracies, and who
recklt ssly debauch their profession to the
qualification Of personal malice or partisan
ends. For example, it is reported that be-
cluse Secretary Delano, not long ago, for
got the name or person of a certain CORE
spondent to whom he had been repeatedly
introduced, that correspondent vowed to
seek revenge for what he accepted as
slight or a personal insult "I'll make
him know me next time, " said the CORE
spondent, "for I'll fix him so he'll be com
PEELED to remember me-" While proSti-
tuting his journal and his profession to the
qualification of this petty spite the CORE
spondent ignores the fact that he disgraces
himself-lowers himself in fact, to the
level of the plotting blackmailer. 1t is
true that he does not eXtort money, but the
principle involved is exactly the same.
This species of detective journalists has in
creased in this country lately to marked
extent, and number Of journals are pub
lished in different sections whose columns
are filled daily with reports of sub
detectives like the one to whom
we have referred. Pursuing a policy
of indiscriminate SANDER, and guided
only by an instructive hatred of every man
who holds an Office, no man in public posi-
ton, however spotless his character, is safe
from their assaults. The most trivial cir
cumstsnce is twisted and distorted by the
agency of their malice into startling evil
dence of base corruption. Failing in this
resource as a basis for their malevolent
statements, they do not hesitate to make up
stories out of whole cloth. The very air is
thus filled with the most infamous tales of
personal and political corruption, AID soci-
ETY. is stifled with the reeking stencil of
putrid lies. But, fortunately for the future,
these persons have gone TO such extremes
as TO prove in the plainest manner possible
their own extravagant disregard of truth
and honor. No thinking man can fail to
be disguised and sickened at the reckless
libels of these scribbling reporters.
A leader among the leaders of these dis
reputables is Charles A. Dana, Pirate of
Ike Press, and editor of the New York Sun.
For years and years this unfortunate man
labOred on the New York Tribune, rejoic-
ing in immediate personal and professional
relations with the founder of that once
great journal. He advised Mr. Greeley in
all those emergencies which constantly
arise in the conduct of such an enterprise,
aided him in moulding its policy, saved
him from the impulsive plumbers which
were characteristics of his nature, and at
all times served him as faithful hench-
man, whose cutting sarcasm and pointed
criticisms were always available when it
was desirable that some one should be as
sailed. In fact, Dana grew TO believe him
self man above men, because he, for the
time being, led leader of men. Subse-
quently, through Mr.. Grceley's influence,
he became connected in detective capac-
ity with the War observation-disclosures,
in short, spy upon the private acts of
army officers at whose table he ate his daily
provender-and the Tribune passed success
sively into the control of Mr.. Gay, Mr.
Young and finally Jake Reid-sometimes
known as J. w. Reid, and more generally
known as Whitelaw, Whitelie or Outlaw
Reid. Then Dana essaycd to astonish the
people of the Great West with the arrogant
self-conceit of an Eastern bred journalist.
The selfsuffciency generated by the mu-
Standardization intercourse with his fellow
enthusiasts of the Brook Farm emboldened
him to take hold of the Chicago RepubIi-
can. OF course he failed. Nc more bitter
Comment on his incapacity to take SUI
Preme control Of a great journal could
be found than resides in the fact that after
Daras failure in the West Mr.. Reid, a
Western Journalist, came East, and sue
ceeded him as the guiding spirit of the
New York Tribune. This is the occasion
of his deepest chagrin. Coupled with it,
however, are political disappointments and
personal antipathies, which serve to sadden
and sour his intercourse with the world at
large. Remembering his acknowledged
abilities, his remarkable victories in purely
literary walks, and his success as one of
the editors of standard encyclopedia, he
felt that his life had been wasted, his most
earnest ambitions thwarted, and that his
gray hairs would rest in a dishonored
grave. The natural result of this series of
plumbers and disappointments is daily ex-
hibited in his intercourse with the most
despicable and anprincipled wretches, who
confound humanity with all that is unut-
terably mean, God-forgotten and God-for-
saken., Thieves, prostitutes, discharged
detectives, disgraced officials, Matchmaking
schemers, gamblers, and, in a word. the
political and social outcasts of half hemi-
sphere find conduit in the columns of his
paper through which to deluge the country
with their putrescent and Shiny scandals.
As the Pirate of the Press, and as the Chief
of the Detective Press, this hoary- headed
old sinner will be known in history, and
his name will be mentioned only when
some one desires to show the possibility of
less than miraculous