, 1877-07-22
gOMETY-REPORIIHd.

|
| souETY-REPoRTIHa,.
Gathering unto itself great7 wisdom au'
virtue, the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin US
| sumcs that the annual crop Of divorces in Chi
cago is the result OF the large number Q
weddings, and then proceeds to demonstrate
| that the wedding harvest is the essential out
cotne Of vicious practice Of publishing detailed
accounts Of the nuptial celebrations By th
Chicago press. If this argument be purel.
| logical, then the steady depoDulation o
| Philadelphia is brought about By the obitua1,
efforts of the Quaker City newspapers. For
Society is so anxious to secure attention at th'
hands OF great journals tnat it will marry ant
be given in marriage, it follows that where tht
same attention can be arrived at by the less
complicated and more comfortable process oi
| going to meet somebody in the cremation
can. it will be sought in preference to any
method ultlmating in family jars. Marriaee is
better adapted to the growth and prosperity ol
the census than death Except perhaps in St.
Louis, where every corpse Is assumed to be
twins) and hence the press that enco urases
weddings is far greater civilizer than that
which holds up the grave as the
| only medium through which vaulting
ambition to get into print can be gratfticd, and
it consequently ill-becomes the Eesniag Butietin,
or anY other Philadelphia head-stono, to abuse
either "the dignifed leading paper" {THE
TntnuEE} or s'tle cheap ard vulgar sensational
| sheets" the Times aud Inter-Ocean) for cncour-
aging matrimonial ventures. As eI1'abuse the
accomplished editor Of the Chicago census for
annually chronicling the results.
Being mounted for the strife, the Bulletin
next attacks the system OF society-reportiug,
denouncng it as indecent, and congratulat:ng
the Eastern press upon the celebrity With which
its reporters are kicked out upon every appli-
cation for admission to polite social events.
"Thc reporter, who may have a taste aud am-
bition to. shine in this sphere rs describer Of
weddiug-iresses, decorations, guests, banquets,
and especially presents, can have no occupation
here, and be feels that his light is under IN ex-
tinguisher, and can only be relumed by procur-
ing situation Us 4 superintendent OF the con-
nubial department on i Chicago paper" As
Chicago is largely built up by the creme OF East
cru society, it follows that the trouble lies in
the Eastern reporters, who are forced to at
tack the helpless, bootlcss corpse for such
social news is they arc enabled to furnish
their feverish subscribers. The efficient and at
the same time gcnt1emanly reporters is indigenous
to Chicago. By birth and education be Is gen-
tlcman, and as sach Society welcomes him. No
where else do travellers find the calm rcpose, the
i,.souciauce the ncatness and elegance of attire,
the quiet, unassuming manner, the soft, smooth
voice, the graceful, languid gait, the crystal
lization OF accomplishments, that conspire in the
construction Of the Chicago reporter. His
habits and his assignment in life make him an
integral part of the social fabric. Where his
imitators fail is In IN unnatural display Of un-
necessary cheek. Without his cool discrimlna-
tion, they see no essential difference between
the assurance of gentleman and the check of
an ass, and naturally their underbrecding re-
scnts his SUCCESS, and jealousy nullifics what
ever Of intelligence they may have absorbed
from their calling. Given the two classes OF
reporters, what wonder that such society as Is
lett in the East should refuse to have the report
CT Of their climate around, while the society Of
Chicago welcomes its press representatives,
whose place Is in 1t, and who, by their ayoca-
tion and instinct, are OF its pillars and chief
supports9
When the best Of society and the best Of re-
porters agree upon question, who should cayil2
If IVAN SMITHSONIAN and MAR1ADNE JonAs-
MES agree to marry, and invite GUsrAvus PERCY
DE MoSrMoEESc1E, OF The TRIBUNE, to wit
ness the tying OF the nuptial knot, it is emf
nently proper that he should intend, and that,
being admitted, what harm results from his
action in faithfully recording tho fact that
myriads Of friends endowed sthc happy
couple II with several gross of cake-naskets and
few crates of napkin-rings! Wherein does be
violate the proprictics III relnarking that MARI
ADSE twas radiant in creamy cros-grain cut
a Ia Princcsse, with corsage a Ia Louis Quatorxe,
and hair Ia d d'Ahncon''f If GU5rAvUs Perez
is connoisseur in ladies' apparel, and the hap
py young couple "(who, BY the way, " took the
Sis train on their brilliant wedding tour
through the mnre fashionable watcriug-places
OF the East ~ hare no objection to his airing
his information through the columns Of his
paper, has be not done tue State better
service than ii he had waited year or two to
chronicle tho fact that, --:-
Little IVAN is symbolic
or ali thate good beyond the Tfde,
He took cold, and then the collie:
Turned up his darling toes and died!
But is the position Of the Bulletin, that d.
yorces are the necessary results Of marriage,
correcta Probably not. OF course marriage Is
q condition precedent, but the annual report of
the Coroner shows that many wife has died
without having previously fled a bill, and the
almost daily illustration Of the poets ENocu
ARDEN testifies that the costs Of Court have not
drawn upon the slender treasury OF many
cheerful family. :.
It Is clear that the bulletin has entered upon
the discussion Of question It does not thor
oughly understand. It is wrong In its premises
and erroneous in its deductions. It's 'facts II
result from the mlscegcnation Of distorted fancy
aud incomplete statistical information, and it
would be veil to examine the tendency Of its