The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-11-10
THE SATANIC PRESS.

ference between a pulpit and pea
nut stand, between the function of
preacher and teacher, and the atti-
tude and moral responsibility of the
itinerant quack who sells cheap nos
trums, sings flash songs, and expecto-
rates coarse stories between sales. 1t
is the reviler of all that is humane or
gracious or dignifed in human nature:
If is vulgar and coarse in its instinct,
its printed word is never helpful nor
elevating: it is a corner gossip, print
ing anonymous scandals, ribaldry and
covert or open obscenity, according to
its commercial judgment whether
there is a safe market for it within
the law. 1t gives itself no concern
about principles: is always silent (for
its silence can be secured) when cor
porations or individuals betray public
trusts or prostitute themselves for
self. 1t never subjects candidates for
Office to any fearless analysis of their
capacity or worth. Its concern is not
with the defense of principles that I'm
derlie the public veal, but it is con-
cerned chiefly with the dissemination
of personalities, or questionable at.
tacks upon those who evince con-
tempt for its uncleanness. 1t is the
buzzard, the carrion fly and the pole
eat in its public function; not surly
mastifT that is mute and inoffensive
until burglars seek to break in and
steal 1t levies blackmail, iii rectly
and indirectly, on the weak, the timid,
the unfortunate. 1t sometimes sue
ceeds on the wages of its sin, just like
other prostitutes, who lay by money
and coin infamy into purple, fine linen
and filthy lucre.
The Satanic press sometimes fastens
transiently, like a barnacle to good
men and noble causes, but, barnacle-
like, it is sure to make the best ship
unseaworthy, unless it be scraped off
and clean keel secured. The Satanic
press has good many readers. be-
cause those who do not reflect exceed
in numbers those who do, but its fol
lowing Is the mcomplimentary crowd
of listeners who always hang on the
lips OF scandal-mQngers, and yet
while malignant gossips always have
larger constituency than men of wise,
discreet speech and useful action, this
is not because it has any character, but
because of its very lack of character.
The Satanic press is constructive of
nothing but falsehood; it is destruc-
tive of everything that is not disreputa-
bic. 1t crawls, like a snake, on its
belly over whatsoever men or things
are honest, or Of good repute, and
then pointing to its own Shiny track
imputes the smutch it has placed on
his scutcheon to the hand of the man
who is stainless. and sometimes it
capers like a mad bull in a china
shop, soiling everything it omits TO
shiver.
These are salient fe atures of the
Satanic press that has representa-
tive IN every considerable town. The
life of the Satanic press does not lie
altogether in the support of those
who are bound to it by the cohesive
attraction of depravity. Men of de-
cent lives and humane impulses some
times treat the engineers of the Sa-
tanic press in the spirit Of mean and
trucking affability: they are as cordial
in their welcome, nay, often more
bland and deferential to journalistic
shysters and social scavengers every
where than they are to newspapers
that honorably refuse to consider that
a rag picker's hook and a whitewash
brush are the nobiest implem ents of
their calling. Why should decent
men be deferential, when in their
hearts they despise these fellows,
prodding every mans ash barrel,
searching right and left for sOiled
linen, creating smut where they can
not find it: persuading one man by
fulsome personal laudation, and an
other 10y impending libels to support
their enterprise. 1t is largely on the
moral cOwardice and moral indif-
ference of reputable and decent men,
who lack the moral courage TO defy
defamation, that the Satanic press
leans for public liberation and secret
support. We impute no sincere sympa-
thy or admiration to this class of men,
who know better, for this sort of
journalism; nevertheless they suffer
but Just retributiOn for their weakness
and cOwardice. when the Satanic
journalist soils them by his contact,
Or, IN his capacity of hired mercenary,
turns and rends those who carelessly
pitch the pearl OF their own self-re-
spect within reach of such swine.
Let no man, who in his heart loathes