St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-12
VICIOUS JOURNALISM.


VICIOUS JOURNALISM.
The exposures of the vices of London So
ciety made by the Pail Mall Gazette were
justified upon the ground that the paper
had worthy purpose in view. The pretext
Of the publication was a desire to obtain a
change in the criminal law of England.
The groSsest vices which were sapping the
life blood of London society prevailed be-
cause there was no law to check them. The
English people were bowed down with in
dignation that such vices existed. There
seemed to be no hope that the government
would, of its own motion, proceed to cleanse
the social atmosphere, from the fact that
members of the royal household, cabinet
ministers, peers, lords, dukes earls and
even clergymen were implicated. There
seemed to be but one way to arouse public
sentiment to full realization of the in
famies which prevailed, and that was by a
public exposure. The way to do this was
through the press. 1t was a disagreeable
task to perform, for no high-minded
journal can find pleasant employ
ment in showing up blackguards and
blackguardism. Publishing broadcast
the details of vicious traffic bears along
with it a very heavy moral responsibility.
The indecency connected with such a pub
LEGATION must excite in the minds of the
propretOrs of a respectable journal feel
ing of repugnance. even though good is to
come of it, And it was only for the reason
that no other way was visible by which
reform could be attained that the Pail Mall
-a1 4lo IL
enterprise of unwilling the immoralities of a
great city.
But, whatever excuse or pretext may
have existed for London journal loading
its columns with such mass of putrid de-
tails, there is no apology under the heavens
for a newspaper on this side of the water
embarking in the same kind of enterprise
The publication of what occurs in the
slums of London can be of no possible
good to American society. The English
journal had purpose for converting its
columns into filthy sewer through which
poured the sickening details of loath-
some business. An American newspaper
has no purpose to accomplish by republish-
ing the filth, except to crafty the prurient
curiosity and vicious taste of a certain class
of readers, and thus to put money into its
own Golfers. There are newspapers low
enough in the scale of morality to admit
anything TO their columns which will turn a
penny to their account But it is a mystery
why journal like the New York Sun,
which lays some claim TO responsibility.
should so far descend from the plane of de-
cent journalism as to make itself the con-
duit of the foulest social sewage that
ever offended the moral sense of a people.
Whether such publications do or do not
come within the pale of the law against
obscene literature, still the fact remains
that they have a demoralizing effect upon
the social conditions of a community and
deserve the frown and indignation which
they receive. AS we have said, there
can be no possible good resulting from
the publication of the details of the
great English scandal, while there must
result an immense deal of harm. Leaving
all other considerations ont of view they
accomplish harm by putting into innocent
minds facts and ideas that they might other
wise never have entertained. As an illus
tration of how far this truth is understood we
would like to know how many fathers or
mothers there are in ST. Paul who.
after reading the publication made in
yesterdays Pioneer Press of extracts
from the New York Sun, handed
the paper TO their sons or daughters
with instructions to read the article Not
one. We have confidence enough in the
moral sense of the parents of this city to
assert that there is not father or mother
4I,r a
to every sense of parental pride or affection
as to have wished child of theirs to read
such Infamous literature. The purity of
the household must not be poisoned by
such vicious reading. The parent charged
with the responsibility of educating the
child and moulding its character, desires to
keep its mind unstained. THERE'S no more
frequent, more welcome, or more trusted
visitor to the family circle than the
daily newspaper. What heavy moral re-
sponsibility, then, it bears i'm furnishing
class of literature that will aid the head of
the household in forming the characters of
children or assist i'm mOlding a sentiment
that will uphold good morals and create a
clean, untainted public moral atmosphere in
a community. Words cannot express the
baseness and treachery of a journal which,
for the sole purpose of adding a few dollars
to its treasury, will abuse the confidence
reposed in it by trusting public and make
Its columns the means of injecting into the
family and the community poison more
disastrous in its effects than the bite of the
adder or the sting of the asp.
OF all foul literature that ever found its
way into public print, the horrid details of
the London vices are the most loathsome.
and the journal which publishes them for
no purpose, other than TO promote its own
selfish ends. merits the execration of de-
cent society, and will receive the ostracism
of respectable journalism in every land
where the proprieties of journalistic life are
understood.
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