The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-28
NASHVILLE JOURNALISM.
A Caustic Review of the Newspapers
OF tho Capital City
II, hn

To tho Chattanooga Times.
Nashville journalism has never been
very conspicuous for anything except vim
dictive and malicious personalities. The
city claims population of 100000, and in
many respects it has really developed into
something like metropolis; and yet, in
the first essential OF well regulated town
"a newspaper-it has produced nothing
above what might be appropriately de-
scribed rs the revised edition OF the Ayi-
coma Kicker. There have been two or
three editors killed here since the war,
and dozen or two more who ought TO
have been. The old southern fire.
eating spirit that regarded the chief
| purpose OF q newspaper TO say hard and
| bitter things and fight when anybody pre-
sumed to question the editors prerogatiye
TO abuse everybody in sight, has very gen.
| orally died out among the profession in the
| south; but in Nashville, epithets are still
nj higher premium than ideas, and the
man with plenty Of "sand" is more thor
oughly equipped Tor newspaper work than
| he who knows piece OF news when he
sees it. We have here now three daily
papers-two morning and one evening. l
wish could tell you the politics OF each
one, but ii my life depended on it |
couldn't do it,
First, there is the American. Who
knows what IFS political sympathies are?
OF course il claims to be Democratic;
and, as for that matter, the devil has been
known 10 put forth pretensions to religion.
II is owned and edited 10y men who vote
the Republican ticket and contribute to
Republican campaign funds, and how
such conduct can be considered us pure,
unauthorized Democracy passes my wits.
Because II says good word about Cleve-
land once in while does not affect the
question Of its politics u particle, for there
are many open and avowed Republican
papers who admit that he is model
President. My own impression Is that the
american is Democratic for revenue only,
and that as long rs IL has u good subscrip-
ton list II don't care n iild lcr's cuss who
runs the government. | don't think IL
cares any more about the Republican party
than about the Democratic-that every
thing is grist that comes TO its mill. II is
| edited, as everybody knows, by Col. A. :.
! COlyar, an able man, and in all purely
personal respects, Il most estimabe gentle
man; but nobody has ever accused him
OF not knowing how TO take care OF
Colyar. lie was originally Wing; suisse
quently the president OF rank free
trade club in Nashville, in which faith
he continued until he became Interested
in the manufacture OF iron, when the
beauties OF a protective tariff suddenly
dawned upon his mind. lie has had u
good deal Of experience in journalism, and
Il can bc said 10 his credit that lac has
made business success out Of every paper
he has controlled Though over seventy
years OF age, he il rs full OF fight rs a snake
IL full Of poison, and IL anybody don't like
what he has TO say in his paper, they al
ways can find him ii they want TO very
badly.
lie is the Boulangcr OF Tennessee Jour
nalism-iust about ~ orratic sensational,
unreliable aud full Of snap as the doughty
and irtuprcssible little Frenchman, who
thought lac knew something about duel
ling
In his paper he Is cverlastingly priting
| about the ethics OF journalism, and sets
the American up rs an example OF good
manners TO the craft; but ! venture 10 say
that tho vocabulary might he mmsacked
in VAIN for dciam1tory epithct that he
has not applied to Henry Watienon in
their controversy over the tariff. Both he
and Watlcrson have dealt with this cold,
economic question very much in the way
Texas cowboy and n Mexican grcaser
would discuss n question OF diplomacy.
Colyar, while disdnning 10 notice the
Democrat, has all the time been lashing
that paper over the back Of the Courier
Journal lilo has never degncd to an
nouncc to the public the presence OF the
DdnOcm in this city, but everybody knows
that he, himself, las been painfully aware
that II is here. This was evidenced in a
very ludicrous way the other day when
lac 10 far forgot himself as TO send the cdi-
tor of the DTmocrui q challenge.
This was the most grotcsquo piece OF MS
sininity ever saw, and Colyar, by virtue
Of Il, is the laughing stock Of the town.
Referring 10 the Dtmorrdi, does anybody
know what IL is here fort IL denies the
soft impeachment OF having been started
by Senator lsham q. Harris rs personal
organ, albeit Il Is as servilo in its obeistncc
90 him, ~ Jealous Of any cncroachment
upon his hitherto undisputcd political do.
minion, as cunuch that guards tho ser
aglio Of an Oriental dcspot. II Il Is not
here for that purpose, perhaps the pur-
pose OF it, being Is cncompasscd in the
bitter and relentless war Il is max
ing on tho American. Was IL started
/
! by lis treatment oi COlyar, recollection
OF the thumbscrcWs OF the inquisition3 II
-, Il has been 4 phenomenal success But
II Il was projected in the interest Of the
Democratic party, and does not wish 10 be-
set down u failure, IL might ~ well stop
preaching the damnablo hcresios Of Henry
George ON the questions Of taxation and
revenue. A great many people think Il
was started ~ kind Of branch office Of the
C0wier,J Journal, and that It's editorial IRA.
dinlions arG simply the reflected light Of
the irrc trade luminary nj Louisville.
The fact IL. Il Is impossible b. tell what
Il was started, Just ~ Il would do difficult
90 assign good reason for the presence Of
the pcsky little mosquito or the oderilcr'
Gus polccat. However u - a breezy little
paper Just the same, and kicks NJ . good
deal oi dust sometimes. IL IA edited by
T.. W. Carmack, n young man not more
than thirty years old. lie knows the
u-rs ~ which English can be- put, aud
when he pitrhes into Col Co,yar he Is alb
aolulcly cruel with his keen satire and
ridirule. Tho best thing he has ever
written was his reply 10 Colyars challenge.
II was magnificent sword thrust that
caught the Tennessee BoulaEgcT square In
the neck, and will gain more prestige, as
we'll ~ subscribers tor the Democrat, than
all the cheap doggercl he can over write
ON the tarii.
As 10 the Brnnsr, that picturesque old
opinion mill OF which Gid Baskcte turns
the crank, What j. Il inr? The devil only
knows l,askclt' siys he don't IL don't