New-York tribune., 1898-01-29
4 H4LF-TOLD TALE.

HALF-TOLD TALE.
How far newspaper may go in trifllng Win
the emotions and fooling the expectations OF It's
readers Is an interesting but unsettled ques-
tion 1t looks very much as II the talented
young person who Is Just now "sloshln round
In the pot-house and mixing up the steering
gear Of THE NewYork Sun was In a falr
way 10 find out about It. Last Monday morn
ing he gave out what was understood 10 be the
first instalment Of one Of the most narrowing
recitals Of crime in high places. OF bribery, cor
ruptlon and fraud, that has stirred the emotions
Of this community snce-well, let us say, since
The Suns" scathng exposure Of the conspiracy
Of two-thlrds Of the Republican party against
the unity and integrity Of the organization.
There were two columns Of 1t. The main points
of the agonizing narrative have already been
published in The Tribune. The story was so
star,lIng-indeed. so heartrending-tha we could
not think Of Withholding It from our readers for
a single moment. 1t was printed nearly In full
in The Tribune last Tuesday. with the credit TO
'Thc sun" which that journal deserved for It's
enterprise. It's fearlessness and its veracity.
The story. in brief was that John E. Milhoand,
D. 0. Mills and The Tribune crowd had organ
lied company to shoot the mails through
that Milholland had already bribed many Sen
ators and members Of Congress and Cabinet
officers partly by inviting them to dinner and
partly by sending stock certificates TO their
wives; that he was still pursuing his inqutous
career, and that the purpose Of the originators
Of the infamous scheme was TO gull confidins
public and make l. great haul on the United
States Treasury.
This was the first instalment. For readers
who like this kind of thing this was the kind OF
thing they liked II fell short. however. OF en-
trely satisfying their appetite for sensations.
II was good so far as 1t went. but, aside from
Mlholland, Mills and The Tribune crowd, whom
IL boldly proclaimed to be the chief criminals
IN the conspiracy. 1t gave no names. The Con-
gressmen who had been brbed, or those whose
wives had received stock certificates. were
known to tine SUM-" it was said. and, If neces-
sary. their names would be printed, but lust
at the moment" II was mot necessary TO 60 TO
extremes" Former members Of the Senate
from the South and impecunous Southerners
who were at one time members Of the House
''of Representatives" were said to be In Mllhol-
lands retinue Of highwaymen, but no names
were given. Now, what the readers OF The
SUM- want in cases OF this kind. and what they
have been accustomed to have, IS names With
out names any story Of corruption. bribery and
fraud, even so well told and full OF narrowing
details this one, fails to satisfy the appetite
Of habltua readers OF The Sun" You can't
play Hamlet" TO them and leave Hamlet out
without exciting murmurS of dissatisfaction.
They are interested to some extent, OF course.
in the story Of what was done especially II II
Is well told but what they chiefly want to know,
after ALL is who did It. And in this case they
have reason to complain. They read In the first
instalment q distinct promise that as soon as
1t was found necessary THE Sun" would 'go
to extremes"-that is. publish the names 1t Is
necessary now. They are impatient They
want the promise fulfilled.
But here we are at the end Of the week, and
since Monday The Sun" has not peeped. 1t
has not only failed TO go to extremes and
publish the res: Of the story. but for an un-
paralleled stretch Of four days It has had none
Of those playful illusions to plush breeches,"
which never fail 70 excite uproarious mirth; no
reference TO Whitelaw Reds treachery TO the
Republican party and mankind IN general; no
libes, no denuncations. no DEGREES Of extermi-
nation; in short, for four days It has been half
decen; and altogether dull. The situation IS get
ting strained THE Sun" readers. disappointed
day after day in not finding another instalment
Of the half-told tale must be getting out Of pa
tience. For our own part, too, we confess to
unappeased curiosity. As a part Of the con-
splracy The Tribune crowd have a personal
interest In knowing more about the scheme for
shooting the mails through tube in which The
Sun has generously made them stockholders on
the ground floor. They want to know definite
" what Con gressmen have been bribed. what
COngressmens wives have sent back stock
which had been given them 10 influence their
husbands votes. and, in general how the whole
business is getting on. On our own behalf
then as well as on behalf Of The Sun" read
ers who have been standing now these four
days with mouths wide open. gasping and pant
ing with unsatisfed curiosity we call upon our
brilliant but somewhat tantallzng contempo-
rary 70 go 10 extremes" give names and dates
and all the stirring details-in short rip up the
whole business. 1t is duty 1t owes to its own
readers And The Sun never should permit
one libel suit for a paltry 100000 to frighten
Il from the performance Of duty.