Arizona republican., 1901-09-21
MAKERS OF THE MARKET.
Responsibility of Yellow Journals Flo.
 the Murder of Mckinley.

l New York Tribune: The murderous
 attack upon President Mckinley has
 been followed by a widespread recoe- milton of the partia. responsibility for
 this crime of the SC nsatienal news- | papers weekly as well as daily. which in nbcSive editorials and scnndalous cartoons have represented the presi- dent as q tyrani. a tool or thieves, m oppressor of the common people. n traitor to republican institutions and a despised and ridiculous figure. Some or the editors and artists themselves seem tn nave a convicticn of sin. Cor they who were 0 short time ago saying 1 that MT. Mckinley was the most de- . spised and hated creature in the henaisphero. p.cfuring him as ra.npline on human rights and murd ering fellow creatures. calmly discussing the effect of political assassination on history. and telling anarchists they should not waste time on kings when closer at hand were trust magrlates whoae tool the president was, now vie with one another in producing symbolic pictures Of stricken and sympathetic nation. and in declaring that MT. Mckinley was a great and noble man, earnestly u voted to the interests of the nation. But has m equal sense of responsibility
 
 hear.s of citizens who hold themselves far superior to sensational or bitteriy partisan journalism. Who spsak with reproduction of the abuses of the press, put who lend themselves and their names to give such prestige. prosperity anc power for evil to journalistic in- strumeats of decentralization as those publications have enjoyed?
 A market for faise ecandalous ana incendiary matter is. of course, no ex- cuse for its production. but likewise .he producton of it Is no excuse for its consumption. The people who have denounced newspapers for their reck- lessness and demagogism while them selves reading them-whether eagerly because they really liked them. or. though they disliked them. because they had not the strength of mind to resist the temptation of a new trifie set forth in staring headlines as some thing possibly important-are not in position to cast stones at the purvey- :. ors to their wants. Rather should they resolve to think on their own duty and refrain henceforth fron encourag- ing others to do evil. Still more care fully should the leaders of the public, the eminent writers, clergymen and teachers, consider their share in wing Ing the poisoned arrows of incendiary thought into the minds of the ignorant but well meaning, who saw their pro- ductions published with their consent side by side with indictments to class hatred and treason. Naturally those whose minds could be affected by sucn appeals thought they must be sound ! when their medium was treated as q | respectable public eoucator by emin- ent bishops, cardinals and college pres:. | dents.
 Any one of these men would have 1 recoiled in horror at the suggestion | that he should help the keeper of some | resort to amu:,e his guests by | giving moral discourses to the people | Tn his parlors while they were fieeced | and ruined Yet highly respectable clergymen. lawyers. physicians and | teachers have consented to aid in the circulation of inteilectual poison. it was the appeals to vanity made by the thought of their names, pictures and opinions being spread be- fore millions of readers. or mere ca re- essness, or some strange delusion that | word from them of conventional vir- .ue could neutraiize the virus of in- 'idious evil suggestion accompanying [. makes little difference. These men nave helped to make the sensationalism hey deplored appear to the minimizing n the light of enterprise. progress and devotion to popular welfare. Without them much of it could not have had in iuence or been considered anything but absolute scurrility which no respectable nan would read: and those who pur- 1oyed 1t would have found no profit ,n 'erving only the most vulgar and most gnorant.
 It Is the educated men and women olerating demagogism wha enable 1t O stir up ignorant passions. In homes # persons of good society where the benny extra could not De found. illus rated weeklie3 with cartoons as un- as any of daily production low so much execrated are welcomed. md society journals full of scandal and ynicism are eagerly perused. It is. heerfore not surprising that the earcher for great circulation. finding uch things patronized and enjoyed. houId adapt their abuse. their scan ials and their war on the American to his own constituency. md work at the task all the more leartily. aided with the countenanee md the contributions of the college presidents and bishops and other clergy md of the congregations committed tp heir charge.