Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-02
NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS

NEWSPAPER CORRESPONDENTS.
The newspaper correspondent has
become an institution in this coun-.
try, and as essential to the great
dailies as an editor-in-chief. He is
undoubtedly an indispensable fact
or in successful journalism, and he
seems in no way backward in mag
iHfying his Office, and not at all
slow in appreciating his own inn
portance. In fact, a more previous
individual cannot we'll be found in
any of the walks of life. He is fast
becoming a nuisance, which the
sanctity of the family circle and the
safety of private reputation require
should be abated, or at least con-
fined within legitimate limits. He
is willing to sacrifice everything to
a sensation. The reputation of
man or woman seems a secondary
consideration to him if he can only
communicate to the paper that en-
ploys him, in advance of a rival
sheet, some startling scandal to
blaze in captivating headlines at
the top of its columns. The whole
thing may be base and cowartlly
lie, set afloat by some designing
scoundrel; but this makes no differ
enee with the reporter; he catches
the scandalOus rumOr on the wing,
and without stopping to enquire
whether il is true or false, or with
out pausing to reflect what inno-
cent hearts may bleed over its pub
LEGATION, at once blazons it to thou
sands of readers, who will never see
the correction if the whole thing
should turn out a cruel lie. This is
called gathering the news" and
the newspaper that gives it to the
world felicitates itself on being very
enterprising, and ahead of its CO.
tempOraries in keeping up with
the times. To collect and publish
the news Of the day is one thing,
and legitimate one for a news
paper. To convert its columns into
a sewer through which filth is con-
veyed to the family circle, or to
erect the press as an altar on which
private reputation is offered ul as a
sacrifice to appease the Initiated APP
petites and prurient fancie5 of a
corrupted taste, is quite another
thing, and is a gross abuse and per-
version of the functions of journal
ism. The sensational correspond
ent delights in nothing more than
in being able to thus utilize flying
rumOr which smirches the reputa-
ton of some man who has hitherto
stood high in the community, or
soils the fair name OF some lady
who has moved in respectable
circles. Whether the rumor is
based on truth or is a falsehOod
made out of whole cloth, and very
dirty cloth at that, he neither
knows nor cares. He has furnished
his paper with a sensation, and he
is happy. The private converse
tions of gentlemen are considered
public property, and ever and anon
gentleman wakes up in the morn
ing to see some remark made by
him in the privacy of the social
circle paraded before the world in
blazing headlines. Some sneaking
scavenger of the press happens to
be present, and at once determines
to signalize his own vigilance and
the enterprise of his newspaper by
dishing up for the public a private
conversation, which no one with
the smallest instinct of a gentleman
would think of repeating, much
less publishing in a newspaper.
Only the other day, what pur-
ported to be an "interview" with
ex-President Hayes was published,
in which Hayes was reported as in
dulging in some very uncompli-
mentary remarks in regard TO
COnkling and Blaine. On being
called to account about it, Hayes,
of course, most solemnity denied
ever saying anything of the kind.
But he did say it. Yet, the publi-
cation of what he said, left him no
alternative but to remain in II very
unpleasant fix or to lie out of it.
No one at all acquainted with
Hayes eccentricities would doubt
for a moment what he would do
under such circumstances. y pri-
waite letter from Hayes has since
been unearthed, in which he admit
, ted having stated substantially
what the correspondent reported,
but he said the remarks were made
in the confidence of private CONVEX
satiOn with friends, and he had no
dream that they would be pub
lished.
The publication of such a CONVEX
satiOn ought to disgrace any news
paper or newspaper men who
would employ, as a correspondent,
any creature capable of perpetrating
such an outrage upon all the rules
and usages of genteel society. But
the correspondent and his employer
both, doubtless, regard the affair as
an achievement which reflects great
credit on them rs conductors of
"live newspaper" Another in
stance. Some week or two since a
Washington correspondent of the
New York Times, a fellow rejoicing
in the name of Root, deriving his
patronymic in all likelihood from
the similarity of his instincts TO those
of n hog, sent telegram TO his
paper to the effect that some parties
in the Star Route rascality were
known to be particular friends Of
Congressman Money, of NIississip-
pi. Now il would be difficult to
conceive or frame a sentence better
calculated to damage Money with