The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1898-04-22
YELLOW JOURNALISM.
Eloquent Words For Thinking People
at This Critical Time.

We hear and read a good deal. in
these stirring times Of shouting. about
the American spirit" and an
American policy.' The people who
Are talking most about this spirit and
this policy mean the spirit Of war,
and the policy which they advocate is
that OF taking Cuba away from Spain.
And they remind us disagreeably of
the fact that If there should be a war
we will still have with us for a gen
Grafton after the war is over, as prom
inent politicians, Screcching editors,
pension agents. and such like worth
less citizens, di>gracing us by their
bombast. c0rrupting our politics. and
insist ing on an undcserved preference
in nearly every relation in life. A
majority Of the shOuters to-day would
not fight, although some of them
might enlist in the army and navy.
and would he therefore compelled tn
take part in :he proposed contest,
which is quite as likely to be brought
about by their own noise us by any
other cause. II they really did enlist
they would do so under the momentary
excitement which they are themselves
creating. The real fighting, however,
would be done by the men who are
sincerely opposed to the war, who ap-
preciatc its horrors, who are doing
their utmost to prevent it, and who
are, in consequence, the objects Of the
insults OF the obstrcperous people who
are now claiming the possession OF all
the patriotism OF the country, just as
in the future, II they succeed in fore.
ing war upon us, they will be claim
ing all the pecuniary rewards OF pa
triotism, rewards which, as decent
men know, are never claimed by the
deserving, but which a grateful peo-
pie, ashamed to seem niggardly Yl!trc
patriotic services appear to~'be in
question, readily yield on the first
clamOrOus demand.
What kind Of people are these who
claimed to be imbucd with the
American SPIRIT" who are insisting
upon the right to formulate the Amer
can policy, who are lauding them.
selves as patriots because they want
to make war on Spain, and who are
denouncing as dislOyal towards those
who arc for keeping the peace?
They are chiefly the proprietors and
editors OF certain extremely vulgar
and crassing ignorant newspapers.
With hardly an exception, these men
are calling themselves the only true
Americans ARE among the most dis
graceful elements Of American society.
They have done their best to dcbase
its tone, to lower its moral standards,
to bring our government into con.
tempt. They are now declaring that
the United States must fight FOL
A mercan honor, but, until now, they
have worked with the ingenuity OF
mocking Mephistoplelcs to bring u
the surface the vilest features Of
American life, and make themselves
appear MS its characteristics. In NJ
single instance have they been known
to celebrate or spread abroad the tint
achievements of Americans who have
won distinction for moral and intel
lectual qualities, unless those achieve
ments have possessed commercial
value to themselves. There Is not {
statesman Of character and con
science, not a public man who has un
seltlshy devoted himself to his cOun
try's good, who has not been the oh
ject OF their abuse. The very atmos
pherc In which good men dwell a.
fronts and enrages these creatures
On the ether hand, there Is not q
scoundrel In public life whose success
hws not been promoted and maintain
ed BY them. Sointimate are the rela'
tIous existing between tho rutiians Of
the press and the rufians OF political
slums that the latter have apparently