The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-03-16
An Editor whipped.

An Editor Whipped.
The Commonwealth OF Sunday
contains an account of q fight be
tween John w. Wilson, late of tn,
defunct Topeka Times, and j
Clarke Swayze, Of the Topeka Blade
in which the latter parsonage re-
ceived . thorough whipping. HI
was knocked down and badly kick
ed and bruised. The distant cause
Of the fight was an old feud be
tween the tive when Wilson pub
lished the Times, from which h'
retired . year or two ago. The
immediate cause was 8 characteris
tically low, filthy and probably false
attack on him in Saturdays Blade
Wilson had been numerically abus'
ed on every occasion, until the
straw was piled on which "breke
the cancels back" He was goaded
to the disaGreeable task by Swayze
and when he got at it he seems to
have made a pretty good job of it.
If the resort to such means of re-
dress 10 ever justifiable, it was in
this case. We haye wondered ma
nv time that Swsyze did not get
his head broken. In his attacks on
people ne pays no regard to any
thing. He 10 q ''scalper" and de-
lights in abusing people. A mans
family, his good name, nor nothing
else, will shield him from the at
tacks of the Blade. 1t is the most
scurrilous sheet in this respect we
have ever seen. Even women have
not escaped being dragged before the
public to crafty the low thisrt for
scandl, and TO add to Swayze's
tame as an independent jour-
nalist. We have been told
by men whose word we consider
good, that several citizens of TOpe-
ka have paid Swsyze money to keep
their names out of his paperl that
he has on several occasions got hold
of private scandal, written it up
and sent for his victims to call, aud
when they did so he told them ne
was hard up and that so much cash
would keep the scandal out OF
print. We have been informed that
OCCASIONALLY he has obtained money
in this way. Whether this bs true
or not, his paper is 9 regular scsven-
ger. On two or three occasions he
has been in trouble, and the impress
sion that he went armed aud would
Hght has undoubtedly saved him
from several thrashings heretofore.
He caught it at last, but not before
he deserved il. His trouble with
Wilson grew out of newspaper
Jealousy, aud was . matter of ne
public concern whatever. He sup
served no public interest by de-
bouncing Wilson day after day. II
was q matter purely personal spite
We believe as much as any one
in the freedom Of the press, bat we
believe also that an editor should
be held strictly accountable for hil
statements. He occupies a very re.
spOnsible position. He can offer
ruin man in day, or At least In
jure him greatly. Public men
are of course public property tC
some extent, and whenever Q mar
who has been elevated by the pub
lie proves false to his trust HE act
are proper subjects for newspapel
: criticism. But private charactel
il another thing altogether, AND
should be let alone, by the press, nm
: less its possessor lie pursuing such
course as to inflict injury On tai
: public. In some of his fights
Swayze has had the sympathy of hi
, readers. For instasce, there is n,
doubt but that the Topeka LOTTERY
was one of the most outrageous AMI
bare-faeed swindles ever perpetra
: ted anywhere, and Its authors, who
ever they were, should have beer
exposed and censured. This wa
, legitimate work for the Blade. 1
it has taste for personal denunci
alton, there is scope enough. Blu
: Sayzs seems to lack ell sense o.
prOpristV and decency, and de
Scends to . low-down work whicl
drives away from him the sy oathl
Of all respectable people. Ever,
body defeats the fowl that lives OF
carrion. So they detest fhe ne-7spa
per that panders to the lowest nu
man instincts and lives on human
: 9th. The Blade has been this sor
Of . paper, and hence it has bsez
without influence and power. 1t il
seldom, except by accident, founC
. IN the homes OF those whose infu
ence it should seek, IL it is to d.
good. We have nothing in th.
, world against Mr.. Swayzs. VI
have the kindest feelings toward
, him personally. We have no doub
but that he is man OF some good
, traits OF character. We would Xix,
10 see him succeed 10 sll Legitimate
and proper things. We have offer
wondered why he did not change
{ his course, and strive to . better
AID more exalted field of journal.
L..