The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-08

devotion to journalism and his desire to feed the
public appetite have destroyed every particle OF
moral principle the fellow ever possessed. OF
course, such man reflects discredit upon the
whole profession. That he is an exception 10
| the rule know: but that he is retained at all
upon respectable journal is to be regretted"
There is still another feature of American
Journalism to be more regretted and blushed
for. think" said Percy. THAT is the attitude
| OF our so-called humorists and photographers
| toward public women. Nowhere else in the
| world do women occupy so exalted and honored
position as they occupy in America. No other
women in the world have accomplished SO much
| In various public callings Yet nowhere else are
they subjected to such insults they receive
from the newspapers throughout the United
States. from the prima donna to the Presidents
wife, sister or daughter"
Are you not little extreme in that state
ment, Mr.. DurandT asked Homer Orton. ''You
must recollect that the royal family are discussed
very freely in print; and ladies who have become
famous ought to consider themselves members
OF the royal family of genius, and take news
paper criticisms as natural consequence"
1T Is not newspaper criticisms to which re-
fer" answered Percy. "Of course, half the sue
cess OF an actress, singer an author or paint
er depends upon public criticism. and often it
happens that the severer the criticisms the
greater the success. But it is the loose famil-
1arity and the coarse jests of the item seeker of
which speak. Only last week saw wretched
little item, intended to be humorous, but actual
ly brutal, going the rounds Of the press, con-
corning the advanced years of famous opera
singer. woman who has reflected credit on
our nation by her brilliant and stainless career
~ saw the item to which you refer, Mr.
Elliott said ''and wondered if it was consist
ent with the national boast that Americans are
the klndest and most thoughtful men in the
world toward ladies. It seemed to me an un-
called for and Intentionally incivility toward a
noble LADY,"
II often wonder" continued Percy, 'if the fell
lows who perpetrate those things stop and con-
slder that the public women whose names they
use so freely some body's sisters, wives or
mothers, and that in nine cases out of ten they
lead public life, or first entered public career,
to earn living. If the newspaper men of the
country ever do take this view of the matter,
should think their first impulse would be to
shield, and protect, and helpl every sef-support-
Ing woman in the land. At all events, / should
think every sensible journalist would realize
that, while it is the province of the newspaper to
furnish able criticism on the voice of the
singer, the book Of the author, the
speech OF the orator. it is not its province
to indulge In poor puns or insulting comments on
the age, the personal defects, or the domestic
life OF the singer, author, or speaker. These
things should be tabooed by respectable jour
nails, just they tabooed in respectable
society. Our journalists should be as careful in
their reference to the private matters of indi
vlduals in print as they are in conversation in
their parlors, where scandalous or impertnent
references to the absent would be considered
bad form Really, l do not understand how
any of Us who read TIE daily papers dare boast
OF American chivalry"
"The chivalry of the average man." said |
Dolores, who approached the group just at this
consists in protecting woman against |
every man save himself"