Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-04-19

Needing Correction.

Il There b q subject for much moralixa-
tlon In the Cleveland-Dana episode,
which has excited % much attention
oocauoe Of the character Of the parties
!Aod their reported sayings. It turns out,
= ws suspected, that Mr.. Cleveland
oAid mono Of the things for which the
editor of the Sun bsrated him. We are
told by the New York Euening Post that
the talk for which the Sun abused the
ex.prcsident was not his at all, but
wholly the concoction Of the wild
reporter who had column to fill with
the meagre material he gathered from
his victim.
The Snn instead Of hammering an OK.
president whom 1t hates was really
afoul Of the Insignificant reporter of
newspaper that 1t docs not love. Mr..
Dana can hardly help feeling sore that
his heavy blows missed their mark, and
were spent 80 vainly. 1t Is not credit.
able to the acumsn Of his perception any
moro than his language was testimony
to the amiability of his temper. So old
ajournalistio bird ought not to have been
20 easily flushed. The car marks of the
green and greedy reporter laid oonspicu-
ously upon the World interview with
Cleveland, and II the editor of the Sun
had not been blinded by passion against
the World and Cleveland, he would have
seen them.
What this lesson teaches II the utter
unreliability Of the news printed In
many II not most of the great news
4 papers of the country; and what
we suggest il the need Of the abate-
ment of the nuisance. The Sun 10 very
marked In its practice of printing false
]. news rs true, and the World 10 even
more addicted to tho habit. It IL i'm
possible for anyone, however expert
In newspaper reading, to always
tesl sure that he 10 not taking falsehood
4 for truth, and the general public are de.
eeived constantly. 1t is not only an
noying but 1t 10 damaging and there ia
no good reason why newspaper pub.
Usher who prints, a. Of his own know
1edge, what he knows or has reason to
know to be untrue, should not be
severely punished for It.
The laws we now have do punish II Al
> crime. But they arc ineffective, be.
cause men are unwilling to invoke them,
experience having shown that It doei
{ not profit the newspaper victim any.
thing. Mr.. Cleveland, for instance, has o
clear case of libel against both the S,t,
and the World; but no one would think
4 him wise to prosecute them. Such duty
seems more justly to fall upon the pub
itc prosecutor. Malicious newspaper
abuso, founded In faIsehood and inspired
5}by hatred, should fall under the
4 promptly applied lash of the crimipa
4 prosecutor. The law 10 ut hand for tn.
purpose. The public welfare loudly de
mands its execution, and why the su
! pineness OF the official? An unworthy
& 1eAr OF the press is its cause.
* Such fear needs to be removed by the
demand Of the reputable editor that the
J. shield Of his profession shall not be
thrown about those who knowinply
& print what is false, and maliciously abust
their privilege of printing the news. N,
q editor can be sure that oil that he prints
! y true. The haste of publication viii
not permit such knowledge; and hs
Z needs to be protected against uninten
tional error. But there is wide differ
ence between such publication and tn,
printing OF that which the editor has
4 every reason to know and does know /,
be false and defamatory. For such con
Duct, practiced for profit or vengeance
b there is no possible excuse and the mer
Who do It are not worthy of the honor
able and responsible place they hold
There should bo Siberia set apart TO,
& them.