The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-05-14

tempt. BY it's aid the guilty are white
washed, the innocent smirched, hypoc-
risy yelled and sincerity scoffed, vice
condoned and virtue questioned.
The serious side to journalistic snap
Judgment in criminal matters lies in
the preconceived views of prisoners
guilt or innocence formed from news
paper reading by those who eventually
pass judgment upon him. 1t is human
nature to believe the evil and doubt
the good of all who fall under the ban
of the law. A favorite trick of those
interested in the conviction of pris-
oner is to hunt up some credulous re-
porter and pour into his willing ear
manufactured 'records" of former
crimes in order to blacken his charac-
ter, create prejudice and place him at
disadvantage when he answers to his
Indictment. Unless the case in hand is
one of unusual interest it never seems
to occur to the reporter to visit the
prisoner and learn his version of the alle-
cations. In the "write-up" the ambig
uous and stereotype terms, ''it is said,'
and cit is alleged" are interspersed,
qualifying offhand statements and var
nishing them with the color of truth.
In commenting on crime the proper
time to point moral is in the passing
of sentence; giving the wrong-doer the
wages of his sin. 1t is then the stern
reality appears in its true light and re-
fleets the inevitable consequences Of
crime Justice strips her victim of the
cheap notoriety and sentimental fool
ishness that lurid press accounts have
thrown over his past career and brands
: him with misery and shame. The ex-
, ample is complete, but the newspapers,
) if they notice it at all, dismiss the pro-
/ ceedings with few lines and pass on
Q to some newer criminal mOrsel to sat-
: isfy the vitiated taste of their readers.
: Another evil resulting from this
S wholesale dealing in crime and sensa'
tionalism painted i'll street and barroom
}, language, is that it causes people to be-
n lieve that, despite the moral and educa
l. tional influences at work for its curb
r ing. crime is on the increase, and that
r drastic measures are necessary to attain
J. the end sought. 1t is the means en-
y pIoyed for its detection and punish
r ment that has increased, but not crime
l. itself The perfecting of police meth
J. ods rendering it's continuance more
IS hazardous and the wide publicity give1
e each overt act is what makes the worl(
l. appear blacker than it really is. II
le admit this degeneracy is to arraigl
Sc civilization, its victories and its prom
1T ises. 1t is undoubtedly true that tn
l. fear of newspaper exposures in a grea
o. measure preventive of crime. TIL
II, knowledge that publicity will follov
re arrest restraints many from obeyin
ne their criminal inclinations, and acts a
Us bond for good behavior. But this
es no excuse for attacking a prisoner
Is character and placing him in falls
IT, light before the public by libelou
o. records cleaned from questionabl
IN sources. Mere arrest is not evidenc
g. of guilt, nor is an accusation sui
ar forerunner of conviction. A bare r.
"a cital of known facts couched in dign
lg- fed language would serve the purpos
lt' better, be closer to truth, give unmixe
ng tone to justice and render the crimin
IN columns of a newspaper fit to
U.s. read by a young girl. H..