The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-06

Inc COnVlCtlOu Ol tue puuilnhOl VI hhu
Chicago Dispatch in the United States
court was the result OF q trial which
has been watched with much interest
by newspaper men throughout the
country, and the verdict will have a
wide influence for good. as 1t will go
far in the direction OF bringing about
reform In which the public Is deeply In
terested.
The charge against the Dispatch. and
for which its publisher. Joseph r. Dun
lop. was indicted by the government
authorities, was that 1t contained In its
columns unmaitabfe matter, the OBJ
jectionablc reading consisting Of GER
tain advertisements which were capa-
BILE OF two constructions. They were
printed under the head OF Personals"
and were thlnly disguised advertise
ments OF houses Of III fame and other
Legitimate resorts. The court held
that they came within the meaning OF
the law. and the publisher will now be
Obliged to pay 5000 on each count of
the indictment or serve q term in
prison, in the discretion Of the judge.
There can be no doubt that the effect
OF the outcome Of the case will be
wholesome. for the Chicago Dispatch is
not the only journal in the country ad-
hitting this Objectionable class Of adj
yertising TO its columns, and the result
will be general cleansing OF the busl-
ness end Of many newspapers. 1t would
be still better II the courts could SO fur
Their in the work OF reform and attack
the editorial end of those newspapers
that are not satisfied with carrying n
corupting influence into the homes of
the country in the shape of advertise
ments that should not be read by the
rising generation. but are also not care
full enough with regard to the class OF
reading matter they publish in their
news columns.
The tendency of many daily papers
to cater to the most deprayed uppe-
tites of the community in publishing
the news-to Gull from the regular news
OF the day the most sensational. most
suggestive, which tells OF the worst
forms OF crime and vice and scandal
is more general than ever before.
1t is impossible. of course. to publish
a newspaper successfully without
printing the news, but there are two
ways to handle the news-a right way
and a wrong way, A wrong way is TO
give the most prominence to the worst
class OF sensational news, almost to the
exclusion of the more legitimate and
more wholesome class which is fit to be
read aloud In the family circle.
One Of the wrong ways Is to display
the most vicious matter under the
most sensational headlines, thus em-
phasixing and bringing out in bold re-
lief Its most disgusting features, APP
pcaiinG to the morbid and corrupted
taste OF the lover of the sensational and
the scandalous. No line can be drawn
between such n newspaper and the
scandal monger and its influence for
evil in the homes of the people is meal
cplable.
The public can well get along with
out more than necessary knowledge
OF the things which cannot be talked
about in polite society, and is better off
without the knowledge OF all the filthy
details. but 1t cannot do without the
daily bulletins OF what is going on in
the world-the things which are max
ing history and which come within the
line Of decent journalism. The news
paper that a parent can safely place in
the hands of his children is the news
paper that is performing a legitimate
mission.