The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-03
MALIcIoUs JOURNALISM.

Such Of the public AS indulgos its
morbid tendencies by reading Of the
columns OF the Providence Telegram is
just now being treated 60 most scan
dalous use of the power of the press in
the spiteful troatmegt of the unfortunate
case of treasurer Howland of the New
Bedford mills by that newspaper.
The Telegram fairly wallows in this case
not because the facts at command Justify
the treatment it gives it but because, and
only because, the editor of the Telegram
"has IL in" for the editor of the Journal.
III the light of conditions that command
an earnest restraint in the name of com
mon deoency, the Telegram rejoices at
the opportunity TO be as nasty AS is pos
sible TO it, and that is very nasty, because,
as ii chances, the Now Bedford treasurer
Is a brother Of the Journal editor. The
attacks made on the latter over the
shoulder of the New Bedford man are
malicious and wicked and would not bo
tolerated by the manager of newspaper
laying any claim TO respeotability or
public support. 1t is personal journalism
of kind as offensive as the black
mail policy on which the Telegram was
originally established.
The News is out against this whole
kind Of business. We may not be kindly
disposed toward all men whose names and
actions come up for comment i'm our col
umns but this newspaper has never been
prostituted, or its patrons insulted, by
permitting the use of its columns for the
purposes of malice or personal revenge.
IL does not make the action of the Tele-
gram in this particular case less glaringly
offensive that the Journal, in recent
months, has set 1t an example. The
Journal, it must be admitted, has been
pursuing a course singularly reck
less in the matter of decency. 1t
has let it's columns freely to
the airing of the grievances and the ex-
chose to use them providing only no
favorite of the Journal was subjected to
attack. 1t has assailed regulations and
good names in this community for moth
ing more vital than clap trap politics. 1t
has wickcdly slandered men whose polti-
cal views have been opposed to those
that control in the Journal Office. 1t has
played fast and loose with personalsrepu-
tations for no better reason than TO secure
votes for its partisans. Nothing HAS been
too mean for 1t to say, nothing too cheap
and nasty to appeal to it as weapon to
win 1t victories at the polls. No man has
been safe from slander and abuse at the
hands of the Journal who did not hold the
Journals view Of how things ought to be,
in divers way. Honest motives have been
assailed, sincere purposes have been dis
credited, good names have been paradcd
as unworthy Of respect, in the Journals
columns Men of character above reproach
have been held up as bribers and even
thieves. 1t has not hcsitated To secure Its
temporary ends to cause pain and to do all
the damage possible with no other war
rant than the irresponsible way CT looking
at men and measures on the part of the
writers Of it's columns. The example now
being afforded by the Telegram of how
dirty newspaper can DO, providing the
bars of decency are once let down, ought
TO be Of some good AS making every news
paper I'm Rhode Island more conscicn-
tious, moro kindly and less reckless of
human interests. 1t is certainly vicious
enough to call final halting place at
least, while it marks the Telegram as the
meanost paper In New En- gland and, quite
likely, the meanest on earth.
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