The herald., 1896-12-08
A DANIEL COME TO JUDGMENT

On general principles newspaper re-
porters answer filings against their in
tegrity with silent contempt. But there
are times when they are permitted by
the ethics and etiquette of journalism to
turn their pencils In their own defense
not that they need defending, but need
an opportunity to strike back, 30 to
speak.
Upon several occasions Of late certain
occupants of Christian pulpits have per-
mitted the beam in their own eyes to
obscure the moral world in which re.
porters do mostly dwell and live and
move and have their being, and Mr.. w.
r. Ream Of the repertorial staff of The
Herald and a representative Los An
geles newspaper reporter, is constrained
to speak for the fraternity as follows:
In his Sermon" to men only at Simp-
son tabernacle Sunday evening, the
pastor, Mr.. c. c. Mclean, punctuated
the thrilling narrative of his expert
ences in the tenderloin district by a
gratuitous reference to the reporters,
who, he said, he believed to be mainly
honest but inclined to color things occa-
sionally. Reporters who have been long
in the harness are in the main men Of the
world, men whose duties have made
them familiar with many facts that seem
to be only dawning upon the mind of
some preachers, and they are men who
hox hos oo1,o 20
mentS come and go, leaving nothing in
their wake but the advertising that has
been profitable to the vicious and has
resulted in filling the churches Of SEN
sational pulpit orators.
The experienced reporter seldom re-
plies to the remarks of the preachers,
whether they be made in praise or blame,
valuing both kinds alike. The honest re-
porter-and Rev. Mr.. Mclean mag
unanimously admits that some Of them
may be honest-does not inject any of his
own opinions into his reports. though he
may be allowed to possess some pri-
vately. Even the patroniZing way in
which the preacher above quoted re-
ferred to reporters odious as it may
seem, will not be resented, but the
charge of "coloring' the reports of the
preachers actions and his Sermon"
calls for word or two. Those who at
tended the mass meeting for men only
Friday evening and the spicy lecture Of
Mr.. Mclean Sunday evening, and read
The Heralds reports or both meetings,
will not say the reports We're colored
Those hearers and readers will testify to
lack of coloring instead. but they will
appreciate the fact that the lurid state
ments made in the pulpit had to be toned
down for publication in moral news
paper like The Herald. To have quoted
Mr.. Mclean verbatim in all instances
would be to bar the transmission of the
newspaper through the United States
mails.
The Herald could not print Mr.. Nc
Leans descriptions of the orgies in
which he was participant or tell wha t
the Chinese woman showed the preacher
for his two bittee"-and yet he says the
reporters are inclined to color things. "
With the men who, though moral as
any preacher ever pretended to be, have
long known of such wickedness as this
pastor has apparently just discovered,
there is no incentive to color" reports.
And if Rev. Mr.. Mclean had not become
a preacher until he had served to man.
hood as sailor before the mast like his
colleague. Rev. DR.. ]. A. B. Wilson, he
would not now. at the age Of 46 years,
feel so much surprise at the disclosures
of the half-world or be such pudding
for the painted denizens Of the parlor
houses or the brunette hula hula dancers
of the octoroon crib.