The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-12

upon the newspapers themselves. What
we find in the press of France is only an
other instance of like priest like people.
Tho Partisan public knows what 1t wants,
and so evidently do Partisan editors.
Some one has said that to the peo-
pie OF Paris an accident TO q dog on
the boulevards Is more interesting than q
European catastrophe. 80 it Is In one
sense, aud they insist that their press shall
tell them of such small happenings as
these, not caring. apparently, for much be.
eICe. That the people OF u city so large ana
SO cosmopolitan should be SO very narrow
IN their views and symDethIes. Is one OF
the things that has astonlshed US. 10 the
Partisan mind. not only Is Paris France.
but France. it would seem, Is nearly all
there is of the world, and it Is OF France,
therefore, wbloh is only another name for
Paris, that they want TO hear in the col
umns of their daily press.
And what they read must have the genu-
inc Partisan flavor about 1t. That Is. III
must be very highly colored, must deal
largely with intrigue. must mirror In @
light fashion the gossip and movements OF
society. and must be interesting and
piauant. oven If facts have to be perverted
10 make 1t so. For what Parisians desire
20 have served up TO them is not facts pri-
marily, but articles which. with Just
s pr nrobs basis to TO g si.S is sh sa ir
shall crafty a prurient taste and
appeal strongly TO the imagination. And
one cannot help Observing, apropos OF this.
Iuaf IL the NAKED truth were more COuInO1
in Partisan papers, and the nude figure less
go in its art galleries and print shops. this
big city would have more to boast of than
she has at present; certainly so on the
score Of morals.
BY Law.
Which reminds us, however, that sala-
cious court proceedings are not nearly so
much q feature in French newspapers
as they are in English. This, because
the law interposes in France to pre-
vent such degrading publications. The
testimony In divorce suits IS never pnb-
lished. editO:s and readers alike have
To content themselves with the findings
IN such cases. In England, on the con-
trary. you get such slush by the wagon
full, the newspapers t~here-even the best
pf t~hem-going TO such lengths. when the
law on the pubIlcstion of eyiden CO allows
Them, that they are called TO order some
times by even the salacious press of this
rity on the Seine.
Doubtless. though, it is q case of sonr
grapes with these Paris editors. 1t oer-
family must be, for the brightest reporters
IN Paris are constantly on the alert for
bnd dates, and IL Is not too much
TO say that matters appertaining
20 domestic discord and illicit affection. or
Rt any rate having n decided trend to-
ward such things, forms the staple of Par
tsian newspaper reading. whether you
Judge of IL by the serials offered for peru
pal. or by the columns devoted to real or
~t9nciful happenings In daily life.
The newspapers In Paris are In quantity
altogether ont of proportion to their quail
~. Their name Is legion, and when one
thinks how venomous many of them are.
how spiteful in their attacks on character
aud how destitute of high NOR
al tone. it Is impossible not TO
think of those malign agencies. by whom,
as q certain good book tells us. that
name was first appropriated. but if a dia-
bolical Philistinlsm can ever be excused,
Partisan newspaper men may surely plead
o partial paliation in the fact that they
hold themselves personally responsible for
what they write. The trouble about duels.
however. is that they kill Oft SO few. We
used TO think dueling a horrible practice;
Slice studying IL in France we are con-
WINGED that 10 is harmless, quite so, to the
participants. and to the general public a
decided source of amusement. The only
pity is that too often editors are treated
TO the safe diversion of a personal en-
counter when they would be more prop
erly treated If they were hurled behind
prison bars or subjected to a heavy fine.
1t Is probable that most of the excuses of
French journalism are due TO Its newly
found freedom. lt was only emancipated
about ten years ago, and like the nation
itself. il has come into the possession of lib
erty without knowing exactly how TO use
It. On this princlDle we may hope for
Improvement as time passes. and of
course there are some papers even
now which are as ably and as honor
ably conducted-with allowance for
different national standards-as any of our
own. With other improvements it is to be
hoped that the poor reporter Will be better
remuaerated. AT present he works mostly
on approval; that Is. he gets so much q line
If his copy Is accepted. A newspaper re-
porter IN Paris who gets from $50 To SO a
month by legitimate means is we'll off. To
do this he must have several papers on his
list, and, as things 90 now. must turn out O
very SPICY article of work.
HENRY TUCKLEY.
John Sherman Not q Cold Man.