The evening times., 1899-04-04
Petty Scandal.

Along with the really important news of
the day and the numerous three-line dis
patches which are important only TO some
particular class of persons, there are fire.
quently seen in the illustrated New York
papers what maybe called mushroom SEN
sations-bts of incident which by some
picturesqueness of detail have become of
more than local interest. and are made
into story. Among these, in the past
few weeks, have been two or three cases
Of alleged immoral conduct on the part of
schoolteachers. In each case such a
charge was brought against a young wo
man. and in each case it was proved that
the defendant was innocent and the accusa-
tionS the work OF malicious or over-sus-
picious persons. This sort of thing is by
no means uncommon and it suggests a train
Of thought which it may be well to follow
out
Publicity is one Of the most useful aids
in the suppression OF crime; that is ad
mited by every sensible person, but is
there not distinction 10 be made as to
the kind of crime on which it shall be
used? When a man of national reputation
Is ullu6I SuSIlSIOu II 10 iIctSSsdIy lIdl dlI
the evidence for and against him shall be
given to the public. because it is the busi-
ness of the public to know whether or not
he is guilty and to guard against rail
roading' his case through the courts or
suppressing facts which ought to make a
difference in his public career If he is
yindicated, everyone should know that also
and there is sufficient public interest in
the matter to make everyone remember
which way it was decided. In the case
of burglar who robs bank, or a criminal
who commits some other overt act threat
ening the welfare of the community, it is
also desirable that publicity should be
given TO the facts, for it aids in catching
the criminal or guarding against similar
crimes in future. It also, sometimes. gives
suggestions To other criminals, which they
promptly turn to account, and the more
detailed and sensational the account of the
crime is made the more likely is this last
consequence to follow. But is there any
need of turning daily paper into big
| pictorial gossip-miH? Nobody pretends
/ that the scandal society which used to meet
| in some country towns under the pretext
of making garments for the poor and piece
/ together wonderful story out of an in
significant and innocent series of facts ever
| did any remarkable good in the way of sup
pressing immortality, and there are numer
Gus proofs that il did harm by causing the
cstracism of innocent people now and then
Some of the methods of sensational news
papers in our day are very much like
those of the scandal -mongers in that coun-
| try town.
When young girl, alone in the world,
| goes into a village TO teach school, very
small thing will sometimes set the gos-
sips busy with her name, and sometimes,
the more innocent the girl the more likely
she is not to avoid the appearance of evil
of which she has never even thought To
| their shame be it said, many professed
| Christians take no pains at such times to
counteract the influence of SANDER or
even TO investigate the affair at all. If
there is any one thing which stands out
| in large letters all over the pages of the