Daily Republican., 1885-05-19
REFORM THE Liberty OF
THE PRESs.o

From that very excellent paper, the
American Reformer, published at 8!
Tribune Building, New York city, W.
take the following article, which car
be read with profit by every newspaper
man.
Liberty Of the press is not LICENSED
Lawyers, judges, fathers, mothers
public men, demand in their hearts thai
the liberty, so called, of the press shall
be circumscribed.
the reporter. He who makes what he
can get ont Of an item will lay bare
family secrets, open social sores, invade
private affairs, misreport con versati ons,
all for the sake Of getting o lead on the
other papers.
Here are the facts we have found
out" said a we'll known journalist TO q
rich capitalist, "about your lusty
amOurs."
:" See here, man," exclaimed the
millionaire, D." this Is no concern of the
public's. I am not public man, the
acts were not public acts. It's no one's
business what my morals are except
my own and my Makers, but this
mustn't he published. What do you
And this journalist got a fine house
and lot i'd fashionable quarter of the
city for suppressipg the story of the
millionaife's misdoings.
In the mad race for circulation )"
the papers of the country are printing
news " and sensations" which are
unfit to DO read in any home. They
familiarize the people with the minutest
details OF low bred and high bred crime
they are often full of salacious cuts,
hints and suggestions, and even tbs
best of them sometimes fill their
columns vita grade of news that Is
demoralizing in the last degree.
Yes, this Is free country, but in
heavens name let US not masquerade
indecency and depravity in the guise of
news" let US not apotheosiZe crime
and criminals let us not prostitute the
press to q miserable purveyor of the
nastiness Of the purlieus and slums of
our city life.
1t is, perhaps, difficult matter to
control, but some effort should be- made
to reform the character Of our Diapers
to say to the press, "thus far and no
farther"
The Times and Suns and Tribunes
and Worlds and Journals, ETC., al,
draw line between themselves and
such sheets as Days Doings, the Police
and other low.grade papers.
Why?
Because they recognize the need of a
higher character.
Now. then, if the clean. m inded peo-
pie of the country would refuse to
patronize unclean sheets, then many
1f our dai ~ and weekly papers would
have to draw the line between what |
they now are and what they ought |
10 be.
The mad race for "the biggest cir
Gu lation'' is demoralizng our papers,
and when We are daily fed on such meat |
10 is not strange that our people are be. |
coming 50 gross. The wonder is they
IRE not worse.
III the managers of papers cannot be |
made to feel the repugnance of the |
public to such low.lived matters, Its /
lbhorrence OF theory that everything is |
legitimate news" which their report.
,rs" discover" its dissent from the ~.
sumption that 1t has right to inquire |
nto and publish every mans, woman's |
md child's private matters, then laws
beuld be framed which will draw this /
inc for their guidance.
We would not restrain the true liber-
v of the press, but we would put a stop. |
I possible by public opinion, if not by |
orce of law. to the deplorable prostitu- |
ion of its privileges.
Fathers mothersl Scan your papers
and stop taking pagers which
roll as a sweet morsel under
he tongue subjects that no decent man
r woman would have detile the sacred
ir of home.
Stop the paper and tell the publishers
Why you do so. Tell them in language
traight and plain.