Evening journal., 1897-11-20
CRITIC AND APOLOGIsT.

fair. but that journal, like all others OF
its class, occasionally drops to a low
level in an endeavor to grind an axe or
serve a friend. To demonstrate our
meaning we print the following from
its columns:
We confess our surprise at the action
OF some of our daily newspapers in
both Delaware and Pennsylvania at
publishing the names of several young
men temporarily suspended from col
lege for their pranks on Halloween
night. We suppose it is meant to be
matter OF news, but It is news with
which the public has nothing to do, and
which concerns the college and the boys
alone. The publication can do no good,
and It may be productive of more orI
less harm to both college and students.
1t wouldn't do half so much harm and
II would be quite as interesting to have
some OF the nosing reporters sent out
to learn whose boys had been whipped
and whose babies had been spanked,
and then publish the names OF the
youngsters for the information Of the
public.
1t is useless to argue whether or not
the daily newspaper men of this city
and Philadelphia know what news is.
They are here to print the news, and
they know news when they see it. It is
their business. Professor Raub is in
no sense newspaper man. He is an
educator, a maker of books, publisher
of an educational paper, and is no more
fitted to discriminate between legiti-
mate and illegitimate news matter than
is any other man who is not in the bust
ness of news gathering and news pub
fishing. One might as we'll respect the
opinion Of a machinist on the theory of
disease germs as that Of Professor Raub
on the,proper conduct of the news col
umns of a daily newspaper
Now let us take his second PROPOSE
tion, that the public had no business to
be informed of the facts concerning
an escapade which was taken cogni-
2ance of by the faculty of the college
and which resulted in the suspension OF
six students. We believe that Professor
Raub will concede that the character OF
Delaware College is public or at least
quasi-public. The people Of Delaware
ut large contribute money for its sup
port and the people of the United States
give thousands Of dollars to it annu-
ally. AS they give it their money anC
make its existence possible, they are
certainly entitled to know how that
money is spent and what results attend
its expenditure In other words, public
support robs the college of any and al
claim oprivacy, ,beca. use every taxpayel
hcing a contributor is likewise stock
holder in a concern which would other
wise be a close corporation Not onl,
that, but fathers and mothers are in
vited to send their sons there to receiv
moral, physical and mental training
Those parents are entitled to know {
what lengths of fun or lawlessness thei
sons will be permitted to go by the fac
ulty after they have left the sphere O
that restraining home influence whic
is so essential to the well-being of tn
young. To draw about the college tn
curtain of secrecy and privacy wopl
arouse public suspicion and do infinite
ly more harm than to publish broadcas
to the world that a fragrant escapade o
the part of students who defed the co
lege authorities broke into the powdC
magazine. endangered the lives {
themselves and their fellow-studen'
and the safety OF thousands of dollar
worth of property and equipment, We
promptly taken cognizance Of and pun
ished.
The messing reporters, as the profe
a. . ,ftfh q
for which to apologize. They simp
did their duty and conferred upon Il
public favor Boys who are Whips
and babies who are spanked are entire
different from young men who ha
reached years of discretion and vi
ought to know to what lengths to go
in other words, to know where Il
ceases and serious work begins.
No doubt they were hurt to see the
names in print in connection with su
disgraceful affair. That is charact'
istic of everyone from the man "
robs a bank to the man who is fined
drunkenness. The newspapers treat
them more charitably than they
served. and the incident was a thing
the past so far as the press was &C
cerned until Professor Raub, acting
their self-assumed or delegated apo
gist. saw fit to begin a controversy a
at the same time, take his stand
ground which is wholly untenable.
The daily newspapers have done
college and the students a favor. P
lessor Raub has done it harm. Tha
the true story, and all sensible men y
admit it.
r4 The bitterness Of feeling which ex
ssbctwoen the regular Republicans
the Unicn Republicans over
1natier of Federal natrnnape is eXem