The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-04-03
J0rKsALIsTIC TRuTnrILsEss.

CIlNi 1lfilItu IHSl CltIlONN HIEUt VI
a crowded congregation.
New Orleans Is always glad lc
hear the Bishop. He is a man OF
great pulpit power and iOrlhIs rea.
son his u%Iierances cannO be pass.
ed by as of no consequence. ''Hinc
Hl9 lacrime." In the course of his
sermon the Bishop went rather out
of his way to cast a Slur AT the
t~ruIhfulEess OF the press. He said
that if there were not So much
rejoicing IN IniquIty" in The world
a large share of The business of The
press would be taken away, that
the press rejoiced when a lie was
started, as it gave The opportunity
of publishing the lie one day, and
It's contradiction The next. In fact,
one lie furnishes two items.
Such a statement from such a
source is calculated to make an
impression on the minds of The
hearers very derogatory TO the
press-the impression that, as II
whole, the press is mendacious &;
that the journalist cares only for
items, and not at all for truth. 1t
is a very serious charge this, rs.
pecially coming from such a source.
The Bishop himself has some
practical knowledge of journalism.
For several years he conducted a
religious journal of some promi-
hence in the Northwest /; and his
facile pen in time past furnished
many readable leaders for a seen.
lar paper of this city. He proba-
bly, knows what principles guided
the course OF those papers. But
whatever may have been The case
with their management, TO say of
the vast majority of newspapers
published that they are generally
careless of the truth, is to com nil
a great injustice.
Newspapers want items. 1t is
their business TO get them. They
spare no pains or expense to lay
before their readers, day after day.
everything of importance that
happens in The world, and it is
their interest, as well a. their bus
mess, TO have all this great mass OF
information as accurate as posi-.
bic, whether the matter be 4 grave
cause of European politics or the
shape Of Mrs. Harri>on's Easter
bonnet. Occasionally they are
deceived by some false report, hut
in a vast majority of cases the
falseh0Od does not originate with
the Journalist, but is the result of
intermediates or is palmed off mp
on The press by interested parties
who are supposed to be response.
Bile. Often The circumstances are
such that the matter cannot be in.
vestigated completely, but is ac-
cepted on the faith of the best ev.
idence attalnable, and which ap.
pears at the moment to be entire
ly satisfactory.
But simply as a matter of bust
ness, and without regard 10 The
morals and cOnsciences of The PEG
pie who control and make up the
pages of the press, no journal that
has attained any public promi-
hence and a large patronage in a
respectable community could af.
ford tn make a practice of publish I
ing fal ehoods. 1t would lie d
grave reflection upon The people OF
IA city TO charge that their leading
newspapers were common vehicles
for publishing and Distributing
lies. What the people are, their
representative newspapers are
also.
The fact is, and the Bishop him
self will admit IT., when not blind.
ed by a bon mot, that the press IA II
rule is scrupuIously careful of The
truth. A liar il, after IA Ounce, The
last man wanted in "a newspaper
office. The great junction of The
press is to silt The truth out of
every story, to pluck the heart out
OF every. mystery, TO dive to the
bottom of every secret, and 10
spread 4 full and reliable account
Of it all before The public eye.
And the u~ndiSputed power of
the press rs a cOnservatOr of pub
lie morals, is due TO the rooted con-
victiob in The minds of the people,
that without fear our favor, in
spite of bribery, ca~jolery,or threat,
it will tell the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but The truth
about every matter, great and
small.-N. o. PicayuRe.
We don't know whether the
Bishop learned 10 lie when he was
editor or not. Perhaps he did,
therefore, he thInks all newspa-
are liars. But whether he
learned it then or afterwards, he
learned his lesson well. We recol-
Iect some four years ago having 10 -.
attention in the DEMOCRAT (
STAR 10 his aptness in this line,
md we had hoped that by this
line he had reformed, but we fear