The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-04-06

'Ene topeka Tragedy and Its
Lessons.
Lawrence journal.
The recent terrible tradgedy In To-
peka which resulted in the instant
death OF J. c. SWAY re. editor of the
topeka Blade, has naturally OCCASION
"a much comment and discussion re-
garolng the functions Of the prees
Win reference TO criticisms upon the
character and actions OF private In.
dlYldnals. Mr.. Swayze's death oc-
CURED In a personal Te-encounter with
private Individual whom for months
he had followed with the most per-
sistene and exasperating personal at
tacks In his paper. This person held
no public position, wss neither an
officer, nor Candidate for office, and held
40 such relations 20 the community
IS made his private character and
acts of any interest or relevancy to
The public whatever. He and Mr..
Sway 70 were personal eAemiss ana
Mr.. SwayZe took advantage of his
position as an editor of = newspaper
TO annoy and prosecute his TOE. A
personal collision followed in which
each party used deadly weapons, and
in which both were wounded, MIR.
Swayze fatally. Had the aim of the
latter been better or his ball gone
with more force two deaths instead OF
one would have been the result.
Now, the law recognizes no amount
of false, VituperariVe, exasperating or
injurious language as = Justification
tor physical violence. One crime
does not excuse another. Slander or
libel does not justify ASSAULT and bat
terry or the taking Of life. The Islander
he ha fh0I fnf. -.
malice and wickedness of heart in
each fully as black Gs that of the most
deliberate murderer. The wr1teEmay
be q Veritable assassin of character
but the law makes all this no justiti-
cation tor violence. And the Law Is
undoubtedly right. But while this IL
so, al expeFince has shown that such
things do, invariably, sooner or later,
lead 70 violence. The man who insults
his fellows with opprobrious language,
who goes into q crowd and gives every
one he differs with she lie, who follows
his enemy upon the street, calling
him all manner OF evil names, be-
comes himself = provocator Of violence
as truly as though he himself used
violence. The case is not different
but only stronger, If he uses the press.
The attempt to justify an editor for
making his paper the medium of pro-
scouting Q private personal quarrel,
unde: the general plea of the public
g0Ud or the freedom of the press, is al
together Iallacious. No such right
exists. Public OpionIon tOlerates
great latitude on the part OF the press
in discussing the character and Qualifi-
cations of candidates for public Office.
and sometimes an imperative duty
to deal unsparinEly with the vices
and crimes of men who seek positions
of responsibility and public trust
where they might harm; but even In
such case as this the honorable and
conscientious editor will follow the
matter only so far as It relates to the
public good, and resolutely refuse to
be drawn into any contest merely per-
sOnal to himself.
And, here, let as say that there is q
serious popular error in regard to the
press. 1t is assumed by many that
the press Is q sort of universal censor
of the morals Of the community. Its
dHty Is TO ''pitch in" It must be an
1shmael, with its hand against every
man. Il must denounce this man for
this thing, and that man for that. AL
low US to say that this 10 no palt of the
proper business of the press. The bu-
siness of the newspaper is primarily
to furnish the people with the news.
In its editorial departments it ought
TO inculcate truthiulness, honor, sobri-
ETY., and virtue. But it Is no part OF
its duty to play the spy, the detective,
the iHformer, or even the critic, upon
the private lives and morals of indi-
vidusl members of the community.
The duty of the press toward the NOR
ais of the people ia certainly no great
er than that of the pulpit, but what
would be thought OF the minister who
should make individual sinners the
theme of his remarks from the sacred
desk, denOuncing this person by name
tor gambling. that one for lechery, q
third for drukenness, and SO on? It
Is the frequent experience of editors
that man rushee in with q red-hot
article pitching In" to somebody for
this thing or that. Tell him that you
will publish his article If he will sign
his name 70 it, and nine times out OF
ten he hinches. SIT would hurt him
in business, get him into difficulty,
lose hin custom, &C., &C.," and he
turns away sadly commenting upon
the lack OF moral courage, indepen-
deHce and backbone In the editor.
Charity, says the good book, cover
eth multitude of sins, TIE foibles,
failings and vices of individual men,
unless they assume such notorious and
Outbreaking dimensions as to threaten
the public order, should be treated by
the press with leniency and often
with discreet silenca. One of the
saddest signs of the times, one of the
chiefest sources and evidences of gea-
eral decentralization is that prurient
curiousity which leads SO large q por-
ton of the public to demand, and so
many papers TO furnish, the details of
scandal and crime-the publishing of
the disgusting evidence in divorce and
Grim con cases-the writing up of Sc
auctions and adulteries, and, as in the
case of one of our leading cities, the
publication of special kilograms even
in common bastardy cases. This is
riotinE IN filth. And it Ia this class OF |
papers as q rule, that are the most Civ
en- to the defamation of private char
acter.
In conclusion we would say that it
ls 10 the lax administration Of our laws |
against SANDER and libel that much OF |
the violence which results, as that In |
Topeka, in death. is due. If the law
as executed, offered men more ample
protection for assaults upon their repu- |
tatiOn, there weuld be much less temp
tatiOn TO the taking of the law into
their own hands. Violeace in lam
guage and violence In act go hand In |
hand. The one stimulates the other. |
The taking of life IL . fea' full thing,
and ally condition OF public senti-
ment, or of the laws which tends to
throw men int personal contests
where each seeks the life Of the other,
calls loudly for reform.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul rail road runs . single line
from Chicago to Milwaukee, and
then DIVORCES and runs kalf across
Wisconsin as four distinct lines,