The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-21

Inc elecllon mas not oecu ana COulu not Ue |
ga vindication of Garfield" The fact re-
mains just as plain and ugly now as IL was
before that he took two sums, one of 1920,
the other of IS 900, in way that no one can
and no one has attempted TO justify, What
differences are to be drawn from this conduct,
and his subsequent equivccaton and shut
fling to get out of the scrape, depend upon
the moral sentiments of the hearer. The
fact remains.
Tho moving finger writes and, having writ,
Moves on; not all thy poetry and wit
Can lure 1t back to conceal half line
Nor all thy tears wash out q word Of It.
But another fact certainly has been es-
tablishcd by the result of the election, and
that is the terrible loss of legitimate inllu-
enco by the Press, through frightful abuse
of what should I've its salutary powers.
| Warning has been given of this long and
| long ago, but almost majority of the news.
papers of the country, under the leadership
of Dana's New York Sun, "by merit raised
"to that bad eminence," have gone on scat
tering fire-brands and death in the way of
defamation into every household they could
reach. Beginning with the employment of
sneak reporters and detective vecorrcspondents,
whose scandalous revelations were found TO
sell well, the evil ran on into sheer un-
| founded slander and sensational lying.
!" The Satanic press ~ and its agents became
a recognized feature of American journalism.
Finally there was scarcely decent man or
woman in this broad land who had not suf-
fered and grown sore from it either person.
ally or in the tenderest feelings of the heart,
by the newspaper martyrdom of relative, a
friend, or at least some popular idol almost
equally dear in the far.of way. The
result was. though it seems startling
TO state it., that the American people
generally hate their newspapers. They
confound them all in one bitter unreason-
ing resentment for countless wrongs, pre-
cisely as a conquered population hate their
oppressors. AT one time to be q newspaper
man was almost of itself a badge of shame in
many circles, and a journalist had to es-
tablish that he was respectable against pre-.
sumption that he was a hired defamer and a
blackguard. So much for the social results
of the campaign of the " reforming ~ and
Satanic press.
In the field of politics the consequence is
practically more serious. The recent Presi
dental struggle has resulted in n way that
we partially expected. The allegation.
solemnly and honestly brought against tn,
4, tainted Republican candidate have beer
treated with general scorn and derision
9 Whyf Because they were necessarily urget
through the newspapers, and were confoundet
with these known mouthpieces of falsehoo,
AS their source. The shepherd had erie,
t Wolf so often that he was left to cry it il
r the wilderness. The passably intelligcn
citizen said, "What is Garfield abused il
" the newspapers Then l shall surely vot
G " for him." And really, with the exception
= Of a very few who could rise above sucl
n natural prejudice, the more strongly tn
n Democratic and independent press inveghe
II against a candidate of flawed reputation, til
r more bitterly his supporters sought to b
y revenged on an ancient enemy by givin
Q the press the lie and electing him. TIL
e plainest and most palpable proofs wcr
y ignored because they came through ba
l. witness.
l. That We have spoken of it SO freely show
that We at least hope THE SUNDAY HERALD
be free from the vice. Certainly we ar
n borne out in the remark that it has neve
a been the policy of this journal TO deal i
malice or abuse, nor even to descend to pei
=, sonality where it could be avoided. If til
other newspapers of the land had even live
~ up to that standard they would not now |
cf be taken into every household, as it wer
u with tongs, and they would possess an inn'
$, ence usefu! to their own best interests an
" those of the country. As it is, it ought
st be CALLING to them to find by the result
the election that they are believed only |
~ contraries.