The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-06
AND THIS is JOURNALISM.
How Women are Treated by Disreputa-
BILE Editors.
brooklyn Eagle.)

NAlAuphiS IL A4aSACst
4 young woman, bright, industrious,
the support of an aged mother, is out of
a place on a New York paper because
she would not betray a confidence. She
had been told about a domestic incident
that, although unpleasant, was unimpor-
tant, and without giving the names of the
people concerned she told the story in a
paper. Her informant had placed her
under injunction as to divulging the
names of two of the persons concerned,
for while there was no disgrace in the
incident, people may feel delicacy that
is entitled to respect. The story was
printed; but that was not enough; the
editor wanted the names. The girl was
argued with and threatened IN his private
office, but she refused to tell. In the end
she was ordered to leave the paper. An
other editor offered her $500 if she would
betray her trust, but, though she needed
the money, she refused.
Since then it has come to light that wo-
men reporters employed on certain sheets
in New York have been required to visit
houses of i'll fame, opium dens and other
such institutions. They have gone limo
cent enough, but fancy the shock of dis
covery when they found what manner of
place they had been trapped into visiting!
Fancy the inference of an initiated citi-
zen who saw them entering or leaving!
Then fancy the manhood of a person
who would assign a girl to such work!
Slum journalism has gone low, indeed,
when it prints its descriptions of vicious
and criminal people and their haunts,
and tries thereby to stay the hunger for
spicy" reading that it has provoked. But
to engage, in this corrupting work, girls
who have names to tarnish, who have
sensibilities and tastes to outrage, is most
horrible!
Reporters in the old days had the repu-
tation of being unrefined citizens. They
were Bohemians, they lacked something
of the nicely of manner, dress, appear
ance, and appetite that is as easily pos
sible to them now as it is to any mem
Der of the -Four Hundred; but in their
day they would have reyoted at the idea
Of being sent to spy upon these unwhOl-
some resorts, unless they were engaged
in detective business and ferreting out a
crime To describe such places with a
lascivious plentitude of detail and with
suggestive pictures to accompany the ar
ticle, would have forced them to aban-
don their calling sooner than they did.
That women could be ordered to do such
work to spread before the young people
Of their city accounts Of the way in which
the pariahs of society lived and moved
and dressed, would have been incompre
hensible to them.
The girl who has just been dismissed
from the service of one of these noisy,
Imprinted sheets did wrong in the first
place to touch her subject. She needed
money, but she could have gained it in
some other way. Having made her
promise, however that the names of the
people should not be divulged no other
course was left to her than to keep her
word. The editor who offered her $500 if
she would lie and betray a confidence
would not, perhaps, break his own prom
Use for $500, but his conduct makes one
doubt it. Had great issues depended on
the printing Of these names, had some
trick of diplomacy affecting the peace of
nations to be exposed, had some pre-
tender to be unmasked, had either good
news or moral cause to be secured or
furthered by this publication, it would
have softened the apparent immortality Of
the suggestion; but as it is, excuse can
not be offered. How long can such jour
nalism cOntinueW