The record-union., 1898-01-21
A DEpLoRABLE TENDENCY.


had occasion to remark that the trend
of public expression along certain lines
Is to make charges without founda-
ton; to assume a charge to be the
equivalent of proof, and to claim not
that guilt shall be established before
judgment is pronounced; but that inno-
cence must be proved or guilt will be
presumed.
So It has come about that according
to the ethics of lurid journalism it is
all sufficient to charge public men and
institutions with offenses and there
rest, the burden of proof being assumed
to be upon the poor devils who are so
unluclky as to be the victims not Of ev-
fdence, but of fanciful and often ma
ucious accusation. This disposition
to indulge In wholesale charges finds
its origin and manifestation most
largely in the conscienceless press, and
unhappily the grist of these mills is
taken up and ground by many papers
which would never be guilty of orig
anating it.
This disposition is emphasized and
made the more destestable by an abuse
of privilege manifest in sweeping as
sumptions that everything is at loose
ends, in society and in government;
that whoever does not accord with the
views of this or that or the other one
may be freely charged by such per-
sons or papers with corruption and rot
tenness regardless of the facts. This
looseness IN dealing with character has
SO far obtained, that the real effect
iveness of many so-called 'exponents
of public opinion is lost, because the
people distrust those who are forever
alleging and never proving.
This distrust is visited in some degree
upon and operates against newspapers
which are guiltless, and thus it Is that
Journalism takes harm and achieves
reputation for unreliability that is not
justifable. In ninety cases out OF
every one hundred where the dealers in
wholesale charges Of fraud and cor
unable to produce an iota Of evidence
in support of the assertions INDUCED In.
Nay, most often they are unable to
make a single specification
1t is related as illustrative Of the sub
ject that a well-known newspaper had
charged the whole machinery Of de-
partment of Government with being
corrupt and rotten to the core" 1t
was called to account by one attached
to the department who knew it to be
honestly administered. Did the pa
per refer to this or that subdivision, to
this or that section?" No. Did 1t
have in mind this official or that one?"
NO" did it mean to say that this
or that clerk was thieving?" No"
Did the editor Of the sheet know of
single Instance OF theivery, dishonesty,
ma1feasance, or corrupt dealing in the
department, and If so would he kind
ly point 1t out?'' mo" But since
ii had declared with such persistency
and emphasis that the whole depart
ment was dripping with corruption, it
n1ust know of some evidence of It. 1t
surely would not have made the charge
except that IT had something at COM
nand on which to base its accusations,
therefore would it indicate how the
facts could be unearthed if fraud ex-
listed. And the editor and his paper
remained silent.
This Is but one of thousands OF cases,
in which wild generalizing and rough
dealing with character are wickedly in
dulged in. There Is no intelligent man
Of the day who has not repeatedly read
IN the current press articles inveighing
against men and associations of men,
charging them with all manner of vic
iousness, the sum and substance of
which was, you have been charged,
now prove your innocence" OF course
all such procedure is childish, mean
and ignoble. 1t is more, it Is vicious.
dannable and deserving of human de-
testation
A noted public man OF high character
we once heard say from the rostrum:
'T will never reply to a charge made
by the press unaccompanfed by evil
dences and specifications. 1 know it
TO besuseless to do SO, for the more one
denies a general and unsupported
charge the more It's proponents VIII as
sert 1t. In this day 1t has come TO
pass IN certain circles and forums that
accusation Is accepted as conclusive ev-
idence OF guilt. 1t IS therefore useless
for me to deny that which cannot be
proven, or to waste my time IN dis
proving that which has not been es-
tablIshed, save in the mouths Of liars"
During the late Presidential cam
paign the press in opposition to Mr..
Mckinley teemed with charges of frau
dulent practices to secure his election,
but the world has waited in vain for a
solitary specification or substantial
proof ever since. Surely If corruption.
bribery, coercion and felony were so
common, some one must have had
knowledge of proofs by which they
might have been established. Surely
an honorable press and honorable oppo-
nents would not venture to- lay such
serious charges without being able TO
substantiate them in some small re-
spect at least.
The Albany Journal" only the other
day called upon a New York contem-
porary to give It some slight statement
Of fact In support OF repeated grave