New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-03
NOTES FROM LONDON.
SOCIETY JOURNALISM-PERs WORD
ON WEBSTERESE.

sopal letails. and that The Uortd does not publish
personal details only. but discusses serious SUBJECTS
Roth statements are trne but neither meets th'
issue which Lord Coleridgc made. strip LORD COlf
ridges statement of its rhetorical embroidery ave
a. ,;s+ cf n remains an unanswered accusation.
Soci,tv iournals do not thrive rcpcttions OF the
dry record of personalities supplied by The dailI
nrrss-how Jones las left Browns Hotel ana cmitb
has arrived for the season at his town residence anu
the like They have good deal OF Information ho'
,,,b ,poro exciting than this but what Lord Cole
ridge meant was that the Lonsdale libel was not an
execution bu sample. Ii is not necessary to ac-
ouiescc in SO strong statement as that III order 10
find matter foI criticism IN any society journal now
published in London. When Mr.. Yates urges IN be-
half of his own Journal that il has warred success
fUv ON abuses and discussed the most serious rs
ofevistencc the answer IS; True; but II you
had done that and no more, do you suppose your
paper would have become the prosperous venture II
sir The World is edited on its own lines with con-
spicuous ability and much OF the political and some
Of the other writing in il is excellent Yet II is hot
more excellent than writing of similar character III
other journals that have failed.
Mr. Laboucherc's remarks on the mishap OF his
brother editor will not pour much balm INTO MT
Yates's wounds "Edmund's crime, observes ne
in the tone of cynical complacency which SUITS the
member for Northampton SO well, " seems 10 nave
been that he edited his newspaper carelessly nave
frequently called his attention to this Inc A't
sentence is of the purest Labouchere flavor. Inc
carelessness of course consisted in this instance III
inserting Lady Stradbroke's paragraph without IN
ouiry She was a regular contributor ana MI La
bouchere is half inclined TO excuse Mt lates lot
giving up her name to the prosecutor because Nhe
was "A regular contributor. That Is 4 view ol INC
II. lNr.l 4.axrrn frl1sT IA
lists Will approve. MI Labouchere himself would
be exceedingly slow TO act on it, When he has
acted il has been in the contrary sense.
The theory of society journalism is stated by MI
Iabouchere with his usual compactness. lie con-
sders that the society journal owes its existence to
a reaction against the stted journalism INTO when
n.wsDapers had gravitated. To Gravltate upward
and ON TO stills is a novelty, but never mind. Inc
society journal is in his opinion should be, an
epitome of a weeks folly and wisdom Strike on'
the last two words and Mr.. LabOuchercs view Is
not very unlike Lord ColeridGes. Then comes the
paradox without which no statement from Mt. Ia
bouchcre would be complete. " Domestic privacy II
sbonld never invade but its aim should be to mirror
the conversation that goes on at a dmner-tahIe
where acouaintances rather than friends are con-
gregated" mlrroi reflects the object before 1t anu
reproduces its image. This is equivalent to saying
thar the society journal should reproduce the talk
of dinner tables, except when intimate friends are
exchanging condolences. Lord Coleridge said moth
ing of society journalism so damaging as this.
Why was not Lady Stradbroke, continues Mr. La
bouchcre since her name was disclosed, included III
the prosecution; aud on this point he l. plquant.
IL there one law for ladies of title and another law
for journalists without title ?" The distinction cries
our Radical NJ. 7. who is nephew TO PEER " IL re-
voting TO the most elementary ideas OF Justice, ana
| really believe that IN this country alone where
funkeyism is almost a religion. would IL he IoleI-
atcd.7 Perhaps not, but As matter OF fact prose-
cutons are seldom set on foot in this country ex-
cent at the instance and expense OF an agGre7ed IN
dividual. If Lord Lousdae did not choose to prose
cute Lady Stradbroke, there was 10 law to make
him.
Mr.. i. Jennings ruslcs into print 70 defend Mr..
Yates and pleads inadvertcncc a. an excuse Tor MS
libel on Lord Lousdale II may he conceded that
Mr. Yates meant no harm. No more does a man
who as he walks along the pavement puts his loot
into coal, shoot He is inadverteut. bat he prob
ably has 10 pay for his inadvertence by broken
leg The parallel is not a close one but II Is good
enough for the argument of mere carclessness. a
truer analogy j. that Of man who fires loaded
gun out of the window. II is not irGal excuse
that h. did no, mean 20 kin anybody.
A country editor replies 20 MIR Jennings with
sufficient severity but by far the most eNtraordi-
nary contribution this debate is letter from MI
Robert Buchanan which appears to-day. Mr.. Rob
err Buchanan who has a genius for striking lal'e
note ON any question he touches eXcialms against
treating ~ criminal mere offences against go"d
taste" H. then. We accept Mr.. Robert buchanan ~
An authority, n is mere offence against r""i TASTE
"a pubi,sh In widely circulated Journal false re-
nor that "a married man has cloped with Young
H BE-
Buchanan a. an authority, NOT even when he al-
pears 90 the garh of maguanlmity 20 plead iol h''
enemy.
whether Mr.. Yates goes IA prison or not vii de
pend wholly ON the view ultimately taken h' 'h'
court Of final appcal-thc House Of Lords should hr
ci,,.,. 20 carry il 80 far-on pUt,'y legal point
The statute SLY. that mo- criminal prosecution Ton
libel against "a new ,paper editor shall hc -c0il-
menesd a taoui the tat OF the public plo-ecutor-a
fuurtion,ry whose duties are of the mo-t shtioWy
Kind. III. fat was not given nl this case. But tins
being a proceeding hy criminal Information, u Is
argued that the statute doe, not apply ~ u would
Lord Iousdaie had chosen 60 indict Mr.. Yates IL
is within the discretion of thr court 90 grant Grim
NAL information or not. and % i- Thought idlid-
tpeut could not have meant To interior" with IA"
indeial exercise of judicial discretion. The point
has been argued aud three iudccs against two de
clared the tat unnecessary II VIII be- argued again
before a court composed of the Master of the Rolls
and two other Judges The Master OF the Rolls 10
that .auc III Balhol Brett who lately affirmed the
verdict IN tho Belt case in close coincidence win
the general opinion OF society Now society as
said. thinks on the whole that Nh Yates onght 10
~ to ri,on. and 10 seems not unlikely. th'pi'rr'
that the House of Lords viii Ia the end be a-ked 20
say whether De- shall shall not serve out fe four
months 20 which Lord Colcridge sentenced hun.
Mr.. william Beatty Kingston who has translated
pr Moritz Busch's new book ON Primo" bisnarch
from German into English was formerly th" Berlin
correspondent Of The Doiig ielerdPh lie Is very
well known both M Berlin and M London ana If
s,il connected with the same journal. for winch be-
80. --......t ..,.,c Gotur. tent uers0us