Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-11-05
THE INFLUENCE OF THE PRESS.

Said a prominent Democrat to the
writer yesterday: 'tI believe the influence
of the press is declining, for we often see
the press one way in acampaign, and the
people another way. What is the reason
for this ?" There is much truth in this,
and the causes for the decline in the in
fuence of the press are various and
many. In an editorial which appeared
in the Oakland, Cal, Times of Tuesday
last are given some of these reasons.
These reasons apply more particularly to
the partisan press, but the public do not
distinguish between a partisan press and
an Independent press, nor do the public
distinguish between the good and bad of
the partisan press. We prefer to give the
reasons of the Times in its own language
to any condensation or alteration, and we
give it entire:
The Alta, of the LIST instant, quotes from
a letter addressed to that paper by lady,
in which she condemns 7'the low tone of
society in California, and rakes the press
of the city of San Francisco over the Goals
for publishing editorials on prize fights and
''scof at religion, and compare the Sabbath
to wrestling match" The able editor of
the Alta quite agrees with her, and writes
a lengthy editorial on the subject, in which
he says: "We despair of the press growing
better, for men are now what they have
always been from the time the race issued
into self-consciousne and saw that it
riry,f Wo L..
tonishment on reading such a sentiment,
expressed by one who has thought
very much on men and things, and we fear
that the air of his surroundings has rendered
his natural sight dim. Perhaps the fog
obscures the moral vision of the San Fran
cisco editor. and leaves him without its
benign influence while he writes for the
ever, that the chief cause of the acknowl-
edged immoral tone of the San Francisco
press, as confessed by the editor of the Alta, |
is traceable more to its partisan bias and |
predictions than to any other. No thought |
ful man, be he editor or layman, can deny |
that the party press of this country panders |
to every vice known in the catalogue, and |
that it is compelled to do so, in order to |
control the votes of the vile elements in So |
clety. We're there few great leading po
lItlcal party papers, conducted by men |
whose bread shall not depend on the caprices |
of the dive and the "den," but rather on |
the favor of the best thought of the country,
and were the discussion of political topics |
left mainly in their hands, it is believed
great moral Transformation would take
place IN our country. In such a case
the press of San Francisco and of other
great cities into which have foated
the scum and dregs of the world, would,
being free and independent, be thereby ena-
bied to condemn vices, whether in low or
high places, and make itself the terror of
evil doers. The Times has gone out of the
business of supporting shoulder hitters and
ward bummers for guardians of the public
interest, and will try to do something for the
general good, in which purpose we hope
others may join.
This refers more particularly to the
moral tone of the press; but without high
moral tone, what beneficial influence can
5he press hope to WELD? Party fealty
100 often degenerates into party slavery,
md slaves can never hope to guide
country to a glorious destiny.
Another cause for the decline in the :
influence of the press is the absence of
IN independent opinion, or if it exists,
he courage to express it, Personal mo- I
ives are almost as potent with the press
s party motives. The partisan press {
ears to denounce party shortcoming or ]
party wrong, lest such denunciation I
hall be used as weapon against it by !
n opposing political party. The partisan l
ress is very apt to become extreme, e
lille to preserve and gain influence it
lust be more or less.conservative; for, +
ay what We will, after all, the people of =
lis world are conservative rather than
ldlcal, and opposing parties are not SO L
ad as each says the other is. The press 81
lould be guide and censor, and not a e
'llower and slave.