Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-27
AN OLD EXCUSE.

It Is an old trick to blame women for
all the SHORTCOMINGS and defects Of
mankind. Tho woman thou gavest
me" is am ever sounding refrain. II Is,
perhaps, therefore, not surprising to
hear that woman is responsible for the
bad journalism that ~ a disgrace to
civilization. Mr. Melville y. stone. the
able general manager Of the Associated
Press Is said to have made that state
ment recently. Speaking before the
press section Of the biennial convention
of the General Federation OF Women's
clubs at ST. Louis. he declared that not
one line OF scandal would be printed IN
an American newspaper were IL not for
the women In explanation Of this
sweeping proposition ne said that mo
large metropolitan newspaper can live
without the support of women. News.
papers today are edited for women and
not FOR men, II the women Of the gem
era federation Of womens clubs VIII
set their faces against scandal. the OBJ
jectonable IN Journalism win disap-
pear Women have a joint responsible
ity with the editors as to the class OF
news contained IN the columns of the
metropolitan daily"
As an illustration OF Mr. Stones posi-
ton the Los Angeles Express tells the
following;
Years ago, when Wilbur f. Storeys
Chicago Times was at Its perhelon,
when its columns, particularly the sun
day edition, were filled with the most
scandaluus. salacous articles it's staff
could gather from the society cutters Of
all cities, one blessed sabbath morning
the editor of Chicago daily paper
CHANGED to be In that emnently respec-
table hostery the Grand Pacific hotel
As he traversod the broad corridors OF
the parlor floor ON his way 60 the dou-
Bile reception rooms. he passed a line
OF beautifully dressed women--out of.
town ana local Buests-all bending over
the pages Of an open newspaper. He
counted between forty and fifty fair
readers seated In the luxurious arm
chairs I'm the entreso and parlors and
his trained eye noted that without an
exception the roprehcndble Chicago
Times was the object NJ their eager i'm.
dlsccrnihlc. What was the choice NOR
sci that caused them 10 open the sheet
al the same section' lie looked Il up. a
particularly indecent account OF suit
for divorce was set forth in an the bald
details that spared mother adjective
nor description that LETT nothing to the
imagination Hola nj hls worst could
not have prcsonted q more repulslve
pen picture a mans stomach would
have rocoiled at the Vile mess
Mr. stone has certainly touched upon
a very important question. We may
not agree with him as to the response
bllity Of the woman for the kind OF jour
nalism 20 which an good men and WOO
men object Women are not moro
prone 90 stick their fingers into wet
paint or taste a nasty mixture, than
are men. nor are they more eager to
consume the moral nastiuess that Is
displayed as 'ncws' under naring head
lines But this is true. that a general
movement among women, TO suppress
that kind of journalism would have
wonderful effect for good, Let them
try It, Let them make up their minds
as to what kind of reading matter they |
want for themselves and their families
and the bad Journals win soon have TO |
retreat to the dark corners of sin and |
shame, whore they rightly belong. II |
"a tfasrbn,.