Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-04-20
MERCIFUL NEWSPAPER MEN.
How Many Men Prominent In Life Arc
Spared Exposure.
9,,s-f1L Tcif1rdnn 10 fh< RsOlsfsr

speefdl telegram 10 he ReOisfsr.
WASHINGTON, April i9.-There wa
a big crowd OF men, women and chi
dren, enjoying the first taste OF reall
fine spring weather, on Pennsylyanl
Avenue, one afternoon last week. Tn
sidewalks were thronged. Suddenl
there came staggering along. takin
from one side of the way to the other,
middle-aged man. He was so lntoxica
ted he could hardly keep his feet, anC
the other pedestrians had TO dodge L
avoid collision with him. Every on
turned and watched him on his devi0u
career, some with pity, some with deris
ion, others with amusement. Many o
those he passed knew him personally
and those he saluted with maudliI
smile. Who was he? One of the best
known members OF the late Congress
who has been in public life for years, I
man OF wealth and position. Finally 8
newspaper man, out OF pure shame al
seeing the statesman make public
scandal OF himself, induced him to &C
into hotel until a cab could be pro
cured to take him home. This was by
no means the first time this well known
man had appeared in public places in a
similar condition. But no newspaper
man has ever written him up.
Yet from the tone frequently adopted
by many public men, one would
think the Washington newspaper
correspondents were not only mer-
cileSs in exposing all the
weaknesses and vices OF public men.
but invented much OF ma.iciously
slanderous nature. A certain class OF
public men invariably speak OF the cor
respondents as II they were thorough
ly INSCRIPTIONS and unreliable set OF
men, and occupied themselves mainly
in inventing picturesque r0mances.
These public men affect to hold lightly
whatever they see in the newspapers
and pretend not tn concern themselves
in the least about what is printed af-
fecting themselves. In nine cases out
OF ten, the men who do this hold their
places in public esteem because the
newspaper men are merciful and do not
tell the whole truth about them.
In fact, il the newspaper men with all
they know and could prove by any
number OF witnesses about many men In
high places, the public, or large sec
tion OF it, would refuse TO believe it.
There is, for instance, a member OF the
United States Senate, whom no news
paper man can approach without danger
of being insulted. This man possesses
great wealth, but he lives the life Of q
loafer ard rOuc. II one month OF the
life he ordinarily lives were written up
faithfully day by day, 1t would be such
fiction of debauchery that the
simple, honest people OF the
country would be shocked beyond
measure. This man affects the
most supreme contempt for newspapers.
yet there Is little doubt that the fear Of
them alone keeps him within any sort
of bounds. There is another distin-
guished member OF the Senate-a man
whose name is almost revered by the
great mass OF his party-whose exploits
in the way Of tipping would aStound
his honest admirers ii they were written
up. This distinguished statesman has
appeared on the floor in such deplor-
able condition that he could hardly talk
c0herently, aud on one or two occasions
made remarks which were unfit for
ladies to hear. Yet no newspaper man
ever cared to ventilate scandal. Another
distinguished statesman OF equal ability
and high standing is even worse. At
times his appetite for drink gets com
plete control Of him and he gives him
self up TO its indulgence for days at
time. He seeks out on these occasions
places where in his sober moments he
would hardly discuss in conversation.
and there he remains until found and
taken away by friends. This man Is OF
the highest integrity and OF splendid
ability, but he cannot always control
himself. Once or twice hints OF his
habits have crept into a few papers,
but the average newspaper man never
cares to write about them. These are
only a few cases out OF many in which
public men owe more than they will
ever acknowledge TO the forbearance Of
the press.