Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-29
THE STRANGE INCONSISTENCY OF
PUBLISHERS

reputable journal for the publication OF
the bestial reports of the Campbell divorce
case in England. OF what earthly con-
Germ to people in America are the loathe-
some habits, the vulgar amours and the
scandalous doings of man and woman in
England dubbed respectively Lord and
Lady?
We do not recall that in the history of
journalism there ever has been given to
print more filthy matter than is tele-
graphed about the Campbell case. The
rottenness of the pair of diseased aristo-
Gratis the loathesome recitals of their
bestiality are dished up by American news
papers day by day to be read in the homes
of the country, and to be studied by the
youth of the land; to scar the sensibilities,
debauch the tastes and inhame the pas
sions Of the rising generation, on the
vicious plea that the public demand such
reading matter.
If this can possibly be conceived to be
true, then the public taste in America is
so utterly depraved, so lost to decency and
a sense of the common proprieties, that
the whole community is but congrega-
ton Of debased, bestial and demoralized
men and women, young men and maidens.
What an infamous SANDER this is upon the
public; what scurrilous libel upon the
patrons of the press; what horrible
charge against all social and home life in
America.
The fact is that the daily paper is for its
worthy news almost an absolute necessity
IN the homes of the land. 1t is the inter
mediary between men for the securing of
concert of action in nearly all that is
commendable. 1t is the chief vehicle of
daily information and cuts figure in each
days business and domestic economy of
large Importance. Upon this necessity
publishers seem to play. Knowing the
need of the public for the legitimate news
of each day, they trespass upon the for
bearance of decent people, in order to
cater to the morbid tastes of the depraved
and vicious
The whole fault is chargeable to these
publishers, for they have permitted false
estimate of enterprise to push them to
outrageous extremes in the hot COMPETE
ton TO Guido each other.
We are ready to admit that human
nature very largely is inclined to receive
and believe whatever may be published of
the shortcomings of men and women. For
that very reason the press should exert its
influence against the tendency rather than
cater to it. We are prepared to concede
that by the aid of the press some I'M
known scribbler or constituencies writer,
whose oral dissemination of SANDER would
fall harmless, may, with his pen, blast
character life service of probity has built
up. The ills recorded of men find lodg-
ment that the refutation of scandal can
rarely Gust from public thought. But for
that very reason the press should exercise
the most rigorous scrutiny over its columns,
to the end that they shall not be made the
means of working Unreasonable harm and
causing infinite pain and anguish
A malignant lie and the scurrilous truth
stand on the same level when they come
to the hands of the newspaper man. The
one and only test with him shou Id be the
satisfactory answer to the self-inquiries,
what will be the result, of the publication {?
in what manner will these lines affect the
morals of the people? There is, we say,
unfortunately disposition on the part of
many to receive eagerly i'll reports of
our fellows, but, as one of the truest,
best journalists whoever breathed once said,
"There is no better test of purity and
true goodness than reluctance to think
evil of ones neighbor, and absolute inca
pacity to believe an evil report about good
men, except upon the most trustworthy
testimony" If journalists would make
that the rule of their action, what purif-
cation of the daily newspaper would it not
work? But when the offered matter,
whether true or false, has greater import
ance than its truth or falsity, because Of
the effect it must have upon the reader,
how much more circumspeet and courage
Gus should be the news gatherers and news
dissenlinators of the day.
In some schools in this State the prac-
tice prevails of encouraging the scholars to
bring the daily newspaper to the school,
room, for the purpose of practical exer-
cises and criticisms in the study in geog-
raphy, grammar, composition, etc, of the
news of the day. Let any selfrespecting
man who esteems the purity of youth