The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-05
JOURNALISTIC RIOT-BREEDING.
The Yellow Press at Its Disreputable
Tricks Again.

Chicago Chronicle.
The yellow newspapers relation to dis
order and crime is one which the people at
large no less than the members of labor
unions should take into consideration.
Yellow journalism is vicious as well as
stupid 1t is always vicious and it is gen.
orally stupid, but it is never more vicious
than when it thinks it is covering up it's
tracks in an effort to escape responsibility
for the crimes of the degenerates whom 1T
influences.
For example, two years ago now Chicago
yellow Journalism was preaching assassina-
European sovereigns. but with a malig-
nancy as devilish as it was stupid it sug-
gested that there were men in America who
ought to be killed, and on one notable occa-
be sent to Europe from Paterson, N. j., to
assasslnate royalty when more promising
victims could be found nearer home.
A few weeks later a degenerate who was
known TO be reader of yellow journals ap-
preached the President of the United States
at Buffalo and shot him: What was the at
titude of yellow journalism then? After a
few days of pretended grief and sympathy
1t addressed itself editorially to a very diff
ferent line of thought. In the space for
merly occupied by dissertations favoring
and suggesting assassination ii gave feeble
paraphrases of the philosophy of Schopen-
hauer, Kant, Hegel and others. In its own
cealed
Last winter yellow Journalism concluded
to stir up strikes and violence. 1t promoted
unionism, urged strikes, stimulated disor-
der, encouraged defiance of law, assailed
personal and property rights and openly
preached sedition and rebellion. 1t feebly
undertook to defend its course by asserting
that everybody interested in high
wages and short hours. for IL labor were
richly rewarded and had plenty Of leisure
II would have money and time to spend
tn he az aYlfa of "a fS nd
others. When riot and murder followed
these preachments they were abruptly dis
continued and in their place we had char
acterlstic drivel on the subjects Should
Men Wear Beards?" HAS the Mosquito a
Soul to Saver lis There Such Thing as
Platonic Lover" and other ennoblng
themes.
On Wednesday of this week Judge Kav-
anagh delivered a decision affecting the
rights Of strikers In which with the great
est solemnity he warned organized labor
against disorder and violence. but held that
so far As picketing could be carried out
peacefully and without promoting crowds
it was lawful. Riot and murder, on which
yellow journalism feeds, having subsidized
for the time being, this judgment was
seized upon and distorted in dozen diff
ferent editions for the purpose of encourage
ing their resumption. In Eastwood type
changed every hour, daubed now with red
ink and again with blue, the announcement
was made that the strikers had won a
prodigious victory: that picketing had been
upheld and inferentially, of course. that or
gained labor was sustained in the crimes
which 1t has been perpetrating in this city
for months past.
All this, of course. is merely preliminary
to more riot, more assaults. more murder
after which and in their presence the
drooling deliverances concerning Schopen-
hauer. mosquitoes and platonic love will
be resumed and continued until 1t is neces-
sary to replenish yellow journaiism's cof-
fers with further indictments to crime
Yellow journalism leads it's dupes to the
JAIL the penitentiary and the gallows and
then takes leave of them while 1t discusses
in Juvenile style some idiotic thesis which
is supposed to bewilder and impress the
groundlings while it deceives the authori-
ties. Yellow Journalism strs up hate,
nourishes malice, promotes strife. stimu-
lates mobs and encourages crime, but when
the indictable offense is committed it is
found feeby addressing itself to stupid
problems in philosophy and sociology, with
no word for its victims and no sympathy
for their families-as if everybody could be
deceived by trick so palpabe and a course
so contemplate.
Yellow Journalism, therefore, is cowardly
as we'll as stupid and criminal. Appealing
only to the weak minded. the idle and the
depraved, it is dangerous chiefly for that
reason.