The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-10-17
THE ST LOUIS TRAGEDY AND PER
sONAL JOURNALISM.

The HERALD has all along foreseen the
difficulties that must inevitably grow out
of personal journalism, ami has persist
emily closed its columns against such mat
ter, preierring as a matter of right and
sound business policy to discuss principles
and not men, to furnish news and fight the
peoples battles, not.indiyiduals' quarrels,
or champion their private grievances The
wisdom of such course is illustrated by
variety as well as great multiplicity oil
facts, not one the least of which is the re-
cent bloody affair in the editorial rooms Of
the Post. Dispatch in st. Louis. Such a
scene sooner or later in such an Office was
inevitable, and was the legitimate out
growth of the style Of journalism pursued
by the Post dispatch. As an evening paper
in st. Louis it has reached large clrcu-
lation by its reckless and venomous attacks
upon the best citizens of its city and state,
but it can be, surely, but poor success
that is founded upon the villiiication OF
character, the ruin of homes and the dread
that all men have of seeing their private
acts and foibles paraded before the PUBLIC.
A journal has no earthly right to attack a
mans private life or character, and when
it enters so disreputablc a domain OF jour
nalsm men OF honor and spirit cannot be
expected to submit tamely to is. Such
tragedies, therefore, as the killing Of Colo
MEL SLAYBAcK must naturally follow. The
editor of the paper can have but little SYM
pathy in his trouble, for, as one of his
contemporaries says, he attempted the ruin
of his victims character and then
slew him for having the manhood to at
tempt to protect it. 1t is unfortunate for
the country, and particularly the profession
of journalism, that so many papers are run
in such personal and unwise manner,
The HERALD has had occasion frequently of
late to refer to instances of bitter and un-
dignitied warfare between influential public
prints, where trouble has resulted that
could easily have been avoided by differ
ent and wiser course. But few months
since the editors OF the Times.Democrat
and Picayune, Of New Orleans, met in a
duel, in which one of them was seriously
injured. A disgraceiul and vindictivc
quarrel has been for some time in progress
between the Cincinnati papers, and it is
quite fortunate that nothing in the way of
q personal encounter with unhappy con-
sequences has as yet resulted. News
papers, while in one sense private property,
are also to great degree the property of
the public issued for the pubiic's iniorma-
ton and education, in the interests of what
is best in society, business and politics, and
to drop the great aims of such publications,
or what ought to be the aims, and descend
to personalities in an lshmaeilsh way, is,
as We have repeatedly said, a fraud upon
society, sore on the body polite and only
productive of harm and confusion, whore
good should be done constantly. 1t is a
source of as infinite satisfaction to the in
telligent and fair.minded management of a
properly conducted newspaper, to look
back upon an uninterrupted course Of Just,
and personal and impartial conduct,
in the publication OF their paper, as
IL is to u true gentleman to enjoy
the sweet consciousness of honorable and
consclentiously correct private live in his
several relations to the business, social and
political worlds, That paper which never
forgots its true and legitimate scope or its
| relations 10 the public, whose teacher and
yet servant il is at one and the same time,
Al.
scenes, ruined homes, vituperation and
abuse of character and public curses loud
and deep attending its publication. 1t will
dig no graves and blight no prospects, nor
saddcl any hearts but becomes constantly
the tirmer and greater enterprise as it con-
tinucs to command the public's respect
and patronage from its unvarying
determination and endcayor to do
at all times what its patrons have
tho right to expect from it, A newspaper
must be run as any other enterprise and
upon correct business principles, and IL
ceases to be worthy of public support and
favor when il degenerates into vehicle of
abuse or a mere escape pipe for the bad
passions that rage in the breasts OF its
editors, proprietors or the envious and dis.
appointed of the great populacc. Such re.
Elections rs these have been ever uppermost
in the minds of those who are now publish
ing this paper, and We cannot, therefore,
but join most vigorously with the general
public in lust dcnuncation of the cruel and
unwise policy that will control the publ.
cation of bitter, personal and free.lancc
journal.