St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-03-18
A WORD OF PROTEST.


No newspaper in these days can hope
to gain anything for itself by lending
its columns to the circulation of foul
and living scandals. 1t used to be diff
ferent once. but by the goodness of God
the world has improved. JAMES COR
DON BENNETT built up the New York
Herald on foundation of defama ton,
and when wronged and outraged vic
tim thrashed him for his shamelessness,
he published his dishonor broadcast
that he might sell few extra copies OF
his sheet. This sort of thing is not pos
sible now. Popular scorn, the contempt
of decent men, heavy pecuniary dam
ages and sometimes felon's cell await
the black hearted wretcheS who are
willing to prostitute the noblest of pro-
fessions to injure the innocent, or to
work a cowardly revenge for some fan
cied personal slight. 1t is not in the
nature of things that human beings
should fatten on offal, and swift and
merciess retribution will Overtake the
newspaper which attempts byinnuendo
or nasty suggestion to besmirch the
character of the upright and honorable.
When all article appears in a daily
Journal filled with the expression lit is
said'' or lit IS reported" as was the
screed on the mineral leases in last
nights News. it IS safe to say at once
that it is false in every particular and
the production of malicious cur who
hurls dirt from behind barrieade. No
paper has right to print anything
which reflects on the reputation of any
body, however humble, unless it ls sure
of its facts. To glorify itself because it
has been the first to commit the crime
of stabbing a man in his most precious
possession is the act of fool and a
Rnave. The GLOBE hears all the things
which are to peoples discredit as
quickly as do its contemporaries, but it
is not in nervous haste to spread them
abroad. To some indecent imaginations
every woman who walks the street is
impure and every map thief, and a
newspaper thousand columns long
would not be big enough to contain the
filth which is ever available for him
whose low nature takes pleasure in
using it. But the power of the press is
overwhelming, and the pillars of social
order are in danger when it is at the
service of creatures who have neither
the Judgment nor the honesty of soul to
employ it with discretion and restraint.
The GLOBE does not know whether or
not any mineral leases have been dis
posed Of in violation of law, but its point
is that the News does not know it either,
and until it does it is sin of the black
est dye to make the charge. The
chances are thousand to one that any
thing which H. V. RUTHERFoRD is con-
nected with is straight Mr.. RUTHER-
FORD Is an attorney of excellent stand
ing as to ability and of the highest
standing as to character. If the News
reporter had gone to him, and he had
been at liberty to talk, he would prob
ably have knocked the bottom out of its
scandal in two minutes. But no inter
view with him is given, Why not Be
cause the News did not want to have
the bottom knocked out of it's scandal.
1t Rugged itself with delight as it con-
templated the possibility of gratifying
its bestial appetite for crime. Without
proper investigation it hurled bomb
with an idiots wantonneSs, not caring
where it struck as long as it was safe
itself. In the name of decent journal
ism the GLOBE enters its solemn pro-
test against such methods. On behalf
of every respectable citizen who knows
the value of all unsullied name, it raises
a voice of warning and declares that
they must cease, The professional
scandal monger must and shall have no
abiding place within our city's gates.