The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-17
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS
SCATHING DENUNCIATION OF SEN
SATIONAL JOURNALISM.
Methods Of "Yellow Newspapers"
Condemned by Justice Brown
Disgraceful Illustrations.

ALBANY. N. Y, Jan. 1.-THE principal
its meeting tonight was by Justice Brown.
of the United States Supreme Court, upon
1.-THE Liberty of the Press" in which he
severely denounced what he termed sensa-
tional Journalism.
ugly stories are told" he said, "of the
methods resorted to to create a sensation
or to advertise a paper; of correspondents
sent to Washington with instructions to
blacken the character Of particular men re-
CARELESS of facts; of editorial space sold
for so much a line; of spies put on houses
to unearth domestic scandals or upon the
steps of public men to ferret out political
secrets; of respectable women detailed to
walk the streets at night, get themselves
arrested as disreputable and spend night
in prison for the sake of a startling article
on the Infamous prosecution of working
women; of various other contrivances by
which reporters are sent, not to investigate
facts. but to make case by hook or crook
against some prominent official. For the
credit of humanity, not to say for the
honor of a great profession, let us hope
that these stories are untrue
is the illustrations. and such illustrations!
Pictures of current events. of battles, Of
murders and sudden deaths, sometimes
copied from photograph. oftener drawn
from imagination. All of these extrava-
gances eliminate in the weekly Sunday
morning editions. If there be another
worse than these, the mind of man hath
not hitherto conceived them. Probably no
law could be framed which could cover
such cases, since matters of taste are be-
yond the pulse of the law. but it is to be
regretted that the great mass of the
American people are so imperfectly edu-
Gated as to take pleasure in these abortions
of the engravers art.
But 1t is in its assaults upon private
character that the press is guilty of it's
greater cruelties, for no other word in the
English language will adequately express
the nature of these attacks"
Justice Brown then recited the provisions
of the law of libel and asked: who shall
say that the citizen has any adequate pro-
lection? Does not the press hold our repu-
tations completely at its mercy? 1t is ex-
ceedingly doubtful" he continued. IF any
legislation is practicable which shall tend
to restrict the excessive license INDUCED in
by newspapers. OF course a censorship is
| not to be thought of in a free country. We
can imagine a censorship which, without
depressing the freest discussion of politi-
cal and social questions and the claims of
candidates to the suffrage of the people.
| might repress much that is indecent, coarse
| and libelous. but in the practical admins
tration of such a law the abuses would soon
| outnumber the advantages.
I'm this inefficacy of the law as 1t stands
at present and the Impractical of
| further legislation, We are confronted by
| the fact that in this free country there has
grown up a despotic, irresponsible power
which holds our regulations completely at
| it's mercy. No man occupies political po-
sition by executive appointment and few
| by election, who cannot be driven from il
/ by a combined attack of two or three in
nuential journals whose cue the minor
papers are only too ready to take up. In
der such circumstances what possible
| course have except to make the best
| terms with this power, and If We cannot OBJ
| tain justice, TO crave it's mercy"