The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-02-09
Washington 'ssensatfona1s.'

That class of news commonly known
lss sSensationaw has its "head-ceGter'
! at Washington. Items of that class are
manufactured there, both'to order and
on speculation. Men flock to Washing
ton during the sessions OF Congress-,
without any particular business, ana
for no special reason. other than the]
universal one, that "where the carcass
is. there the buzzards be gathered to-
gether;v and who consider themselves
richly endowed If they can succeed in
piyipg ih r board and wasli 6 b lis by
corresponding" with the papers Of
other cities. Their whole aim is to give
"spicy~ news. To do this they make no
hesitation in drawing upon their fancy.
without any regard to. fact. The 'news"i
they send, however fictitious, read just
as we'll as though they were true. And
then. in day OF two thereafter, their
sagacity is equally manifested by send
ing out word that the whole thing is q
fabrication. ,t,.s.
This sort O. thing has become o public
nuisance. The papers that publish these
"Sensationals" are scarcely to be
blamed, because they can not know the
facts, and are naturally ambitious to
publish the news, whatever they may
be. Meanwhile the public mind is kept
in some degree excited and more or less
disturbed by these publications, which
sometimes. injuriously affect the bust
ness of the country, by reason OF the nat.
ural dread there is of the effect Of politi
cal changes and official ruptures.
Not long since, there came from this
source the announcement of a disgrace
full rupture between the President, Sec
retary Bristow and Attorney General
Pierrepont, with all the details of the
scolding and whimpering incident te
family quarrels in general; and all about
the Babcock case. We took occasion at
the time to express our disbelief Of the
whole thing. And in due time there
came from Washington fat denial o
the whole story. 1t had not even tn
slightest foundation in fact. Yet tn
country was informed and called upol
10 believe that the President had tout
done the termagant," that Bristow has
acted the truant sch6olboy, and tina
Pierrepont had BUNDLED himself to tn
position OF intercessor to save Bristov
from further castigation. The who'll
fabrication was disgusting, as well fron
its .foolishness as IRON Its falsity. u.
And. now again, only five days ag
came another story, from the sam
source, giving an account Of "storm
interview INDEED a downright persons
quarrel, between Secretary Bristow an
Senator Conkling. The story was ser
by telegraph and published in the news
papers. y When the printed account
the matter reached Washington, giyini
minute details OF the @passlenate Inter
view," and the '.high words" that passe
between the President and Secretaf
Bristow at the Cabinet meeting, an
how the latter left the meeting s'ami
high excitement" and so on, there wai
or course, much curiosity to know th
particulars of this outbreak. Accort
ingly, Mr.. Bfistow's friends called hl
attention to the story, and requested IL
formation as to the cause OF this VI
seemly quarrel. The information the
rot from him was that .'there was M
one word OF truth in the statement; an
further that he had net even seen Sci
ator Conkling for over a month";" 2
At Common Law the raising Of fall