Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-31

table, where Booth remained with his
feet up, not even turning to look at
the intruder He took it for granted
that some farmer had entered and
was waiting for us to care for him,
when the stranger said: Il am Gov
ernor Larrabee." The way those feet
came down off that table was some
thing wonderful to behold"
why, governor, take chair. l am
so glad to see YOU" and Editor Booth
nearly fell over himself in getting
chair for the governor and the entlre
office force turned out to make Lar
rabee comfortable. The governor was
seen to smile as he noticed the change
in the editorial expression.
We have often laughed about this
little episode and so probably has the
governor. 1t is needless to say that
Editor Booth had his weather eye out
after that for governors. no matter
how they looked.
PUBLICITY A FOE TO CRIME.
TSoux City Tribune.
Under this caption the Rev. John
Clarence Lee, of Trenton, New jersey,
delivered an excellent address recently
in the above city which was full Of
praise for the modern newspaper.
Among other splendid things he said:
"The first function of the newspaper
is the gathering and narration of
news The world is made UP of both
good and evil. The newspaper in per-
,, forming it's function of narrating the
history of the day, is obliged to take
cognizance of both. However we may
regret the existence of evil, 1t cannot
be said that it would be best to eN-
clude the account of it from the public
press. Publicity is foe to crime 1t is
one of the means by which the way Of
the transgeressor is made hard. 1t is
a part of the retribution of sim Many
grave wrong has been unearthed oy
the faithful reporter, and the criminal,
therefore, brought to the legal con-
demnation he deserved
There is plenty of good meat in this
statement of the reverend gentleman.
1t takes a correct perspective of the
situation and sets it forth in clear and
lucid light.
To be sure, there are, and always
will be in every community, certain
pious souls who almost loathe the
prominence given by the newspapers
to crimes committed. They say that
| it seems to be the aim of the news
papers to parade the obnoxious and
diiabolical things before the world and
color them and sometimes to distort
them; that they are beyond recogni-
ton. This they are pleased to call
yellow journalism"
Wit tot n, Tho lon CT tho
fundamental principle involved in the
may be admitted that comparatively
habit, their chief aim being to properly
/ expose the wrong done to society and
thus protect society from a recurrence
OF it.
But the question involved in DR..
Lees statement is, SIS publicity foe
to crime?" Does it have the tendency
to lesson crime? Or does it, as some
moralists maintain tend to educate
people to look with cornplacency upon
those things which are heinous in the
sight of God and man?
| These questions cannot be answered
categorically, but largely hypothetic-
ally From the standpoint of the read
er, purely, they would seem to admit
Of but one answer. But from the
standpoint of the trained reporter they
convey different answer. For he
knows full we'll how even the deni-
monde hate to be exposed in the news
papers Crime seeks to hide itself and
| those who are constantly engaged in
its propa CATION are loath to be brought
| out in the clear lime light of truth
and exposed.
There is no doubt in the mind of a
newspaper man that the aggregate of
mankind do not seek unfavorable crit
icism This is something they don't
want. The moral element in every
community will thereafter know them
and spot them. They are branded
from the moment the newspaper makes
the expose
However much the moralist and
purists may lament this wholesale and,
as they term it, needless exposure of
crime it transpires that after all it
works out for the betterment of So
ciety. Crime dare not flaunt itself
brazenly before the public without get
ting corruscatingly into print.
Could all moral and religious teach
ers view this matter from the stand
point of the public press, they would
be led to radically change their views
as to the publicity of crime and they
would see that exposure is one Of the
greatest foes to its repetition, even as
the sunlight and oxygen are to the ne
farious work of the deadly bacillus.
| lnanorf ant Nofiee
rh,,oa of t;rna Of Chfcapo Great