Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-02-24


The sensation created yesterday by
the unusual encounter between prom
inent editor and a citizen of New What
com, which came near producing fatal
results, naturally directs ones mind to
the contemplation of the causes which
produce these troubles. 1t is no part
of our intention to enter into the par
ticular quarrel referred to, or to criti-
else the parties engaged in it, or the
newspaper articles which brought IL
about, but the general principle at the
bottom Of the matter is the great
license which the press of the country
has assumed in the matter of personal
criticism and attacks upon private
character, all ostensibly made on the
pretext, first, that papers have the
right to publish the news and, second,
that it is the duty of papers to correct
the evils of the community by their ex-
posure. 1t will at once be recognized
that it is difficult to draw line at the
precise point where the right and the
duty of the paper ceases, and injury to
the community as well as to the parties
involved commences. 1t is certain,
however, that much of the parade
which is made of existing evils and of
wrong doing on the part of individuals
is not made for the reasons assigned, or
with any motives Of good arising there
from, but solely for the supposed pc
cuniary profit of the paper. 1t as
sumes low moral tone Of the people to
conduct a business on the principal
that financial success is best assured by
creating sensations and inflaming the
passions and the prejudices of readers
by publication of the private vices in
the community, and yet one who CD
serves we'll the condition of things
must admit that the idea is not alto
gether a mistaken one. The free
dom Of the press " is the apple of our
eye, and so universally have we con-
coded it and so generally have we ex-
ercised it that all distinction between
liberty and license has long since been
lost sight of, and now it would be re-
garded as a direct attack upon the liber-
ties Of the people and blow at free in
stitutions to even suggest that any reg
ulations or restrictions should be
thrown about the press of the country
in the matter under consideration. 1t
must be apparent, however, to every
thinking and observing man, and par
ticularly to every man who has had
anything to do in legal or reportorial
way with crimes and criminals, that
very much of tine crime of the country
is directly traceable to the daily pc
rusal of horrible details of tragedy,
which inhame the passions, and the
glitter and glare which is thrown
around the RIGHTEOUSNESS of society by
the details of its vices, by the large
classes of people who indulge in that
sort of literature. All men and women
have passions and impulses, but all do
not think or reason, and hence the
conduct of individuals is not aIwas the
result of generalization or of sound
judgment, but is too often the result of
mere impulse or passion. People who
are controlled by impulse and passion
alone, naturally aud inevitably follow
the current of their thoughts, and if
these are kept continually infiamed by
recitals Of crime the end will be its
commission. A just regulation of this
matter in'such way as to avoid these
evil Tenderness and at the same time to
preserve the liberty Of the press is an
other problem for our statesmen to
solve.
Tbroo IuY1rad uurffab pnaY, bax.a o.o,,,