Omaha daily bee., 1877-01-23
WHAT is The Duty

of a journalist? Clearly, to protec'
society by exposing wrong, and t.
encourage faithfulness in the dis
charge o fpublic dutiesby commend.
ing acts that are worthy. How is
q journalist, necessarily confined
to his sanctum, TO know what is 60
ing on in secret political circles Z
He must be informed at all times,
as 10 what is tfanspiring In every
part of the civilized world. He re-
ceives a telegram from the West,
and finds himself obliged to prepare
a half column obituary notice OF
some Ralston for the next issue, or
TO explain the theory of Chinese i'm
migration; or it may be a telegram
from the East, announcing the over
throw OF Gladstone, and the ascen-
dancy TO power of a Disraeli, and a
biographical sketch Of the career of
the new premier must appear in the
morning and SO on, ad intfnitum.
Every moment Is occupied, and
then he is hurried. Rumors reach
him that corrupt schemes are on
foot at the capital. Next, men,
the characters of whom be
has never heard questioned, state
to him that there 10 foundation for
the rumors that fill the air. Still
another cOmes-a reliable man
and says, my friend furnished the
money to buy the influence, or vote,
Of this or that individual, to assist
in forwarding a certain measure, or
to assist in elevating a certain per-
son to Office The person who is
thus charged with %bartering away
the influence and rights of his con-
%stituents, and with selling his char
ae er as a man, holds a public posi-
sitiOn. These statements are laid
before the editor in his sanctum.
He has not time to leave his post
and make a personal examination
into the merits of the case, and what
ls he tOuO1 AGAIN,
WHAT is HIS DUTY
as a journalist? Ii he be not q COW.
ard; if he is not placed in the edi-
torial chair by some CORPORATION to
poison the minds of the people on
all questions coming up wherein the
corporation is interested; if he is
not the tool Of a ring Of political
tricksters, and editing q paper for
the single purpose of %bolstering
up their pretensions, or covering
up their short comings, then, |
his duty is plain. What is it? To
the people OF what their SER
want is doing Such q course is
sometimes hard-aiways disagree.
able, but an honest editor, a
journalist, can have no
political friends, no political
enemies. He must look at the
case as it is, judge of the facts from
surrounding circumstances, do what
Judgment tells him is right, and
the people will always sustain hun.
Further, in nine cases out of ten,
public men are convicted on just
such hearsay and circumstantial
evidence as the editor OF the BEE
proposed to place before the senate
committee. Men who trade in pol
.tics-men who make it a business
% sell their character and influence
1t every opportunity
FOR MONEY,
are generally shrewd and cautious,
.nd the only means by which they
Gould be convicted on direct evil
would make a criminal of the
witness, and hat is more than the
public have right to expect of hu.
nan nature.
About the only evidence, then,
which an editor can obtain as to
what public men are doing behind
he curtain, Is in q local sense, hear
and to follow out the reasoning
If the senate committee, would
Itife every affort made toward purj-
ying the body polite.
The question now arises, what
would be
FAIR AND HONORABLE
'etween the parties and tue public
n a matter like that now pending
'efore the senate committee, to
Which Mr.. Rosewater and 10 we are
he participants, and the public not
My the jury, but the real party in
crested. There are really two points
u the case: Did ROsewater's infor-
Justify him In making the
as a journalist, and is Howe
And how r the public to
those two problems? There is
ut one way, viz: To let Mr.. Rose
water go before that committee and
tate every fact in bis possession; let
i'm give the name Of every one of
lis informants, and just what they
old HIM /; for If one public man is
alsifying about another, it is but
lstice to the public, as well as to
NC party dCCuSeu, tuat tuo |,
TRUE INWARDNESS
{ the falsifier be made known. AS
n editor, Mr.. Rosewater is a pub.
monitor, something after the
nipple manner in which a boy or
irl may be the monitor of q school.
mischievous boy may not always
e in sight, but If there is a disturb.
nee in the direction of his desk, =,
his fact, combined with his we'll
.nown character, will justify the !;
chool ma'am in investigating the ,
I'D. 30, on precisely the same ,
rounds and for the same reasons,
1r. Rosewater could not pass by :
he desk Of Church Howe and hear :
be juggling of coin inside, with ali : !,
ne circumstantial ard hearsay evil ,
ence as to how it came there, COM d,
ined with the reputation of Howe, ,
nd the known fact that coin had :,
cen dropped III somebody's desk
close by, if not IN his, and !
his duty without calling public :
fD Tho foofo 90 COW l