The Washington herald., 1907-11-03

I Sir Nigel were made so indignant by this
! breach Of faith on the part of the doctor
! that on receiving the notification from
/ Capt. Selwyn Of the forger's continued
! presence IN London they placed the writ
/ ten confession of his crime in the hands
OF the police, taking the ground that since
they could not manage TO relieve society
/ OF MS presence quietly they had no alter
/ native bat to resort to public measures.
Their Standing Saves Them.
Fortunately, Lord Walsingham. Sir
Nigel, and Mai Atherley were an three
men of high character, and Of such un-
Diemlshed honor that no one vcntured
even TO suggest that they had been guild
ed IN the transaction by any other idea
/ than desire 10 do what was best for so
ciety and for the public at large. for from
/ q strictly legal point OF view their action
IN refTdining from notifying the authori
Ties OF the preparation OF Il crime for
/ several weeks after they had received q
written confession thereof and their
readiness to eonnive at his escape. on the
understanding that ne would leave Eu-
/ rope forever. brought them dangerously
near the border lire Of the offense which
I IS known IN Jurisprudence as the com
/ pounding OF a felony
mere however there is the most ex-
cuSe Tor these quiet methods of dealing
win the black sheep of society. and espe-
'ia"y OF those possessed Of high rank or
once IS where ofeHses against morality
are cohcefned-ohenSes the publication Of
winch is likely 10 result In more harm
thfn good. by awakening in the minds of
IuE0nf4TGtfrafaH
/ crimes OF the very existence Of which
they previously had no conception. De
cehcy' nay, even purity, are the rule
rather than the exception among civilized
people on both sides of the Atlantic. espe-
/ cidliN IN the smaller towns and rural dis
( ulcts. ana It may safely be asserted that
lAe pulk OF the population, perhaps 50 or
~ per cent thereof would have remained
! IN innocent ignorance Of viciousuess such
as uiat which has just been engaging the
attention Of the Berlin tribunals. had il
not been for the publicity given thereto
by the press.
Stead's Disclosures stopped.
Thus. in 1855 the sensational disclosures
by w. T. Stead in the Pail Mall Gazette.
entitled 'rhe Maiden Tribute" were TO
be followed by revelations Of an analoe-
Gus character. dealing with a still more
horrible form Of crime. An extraordinary
amount Of evidence Of documentary
character had been collected in support
OF The charges. But at the last moment
the government Of the day learned of the
contemplated expose. and induced the
proprietor of the paper and Mr.. Stead 10
abandon the publication. on the grounds
ot public morality Unless / am much
mistaken, the evidence collected was
turned over to the authorities.
IL was due TO an inadvertance on the
part OF the authorities. and 20 {uiu-
aleious pressure on the part of certain
organs or the London press. that some
years later what was known as "tha
cleveland street scandal" was brought
INTO court and the iBcdlculable harm re-
suIuhS from the extraordinary publicity
given 70 the unsavory proceedings far
out"elShted any possible good that might
nave been derived by bringing some Of
the Offenders 10 justice Il has been the
same "itn the MOltke-Harden case af
Berlin last week. The entire affair colII5
nave peen dealt with quietly, and Vet al
the same time draSticallv, Hithouf con-
'ainlnating relatively innocent minds by
me publication Of all the unsav0rv evil
denee IN che case. In Germany. as else
where in Europe. scandals OF this kind
are, as general rule treated with com
parative secrecy and discretion II is only
from time 10 time that through some in
discretion on the part Of the authoritias
or the lH-COnSidered ENTERPRISE Of fla.
sensational press. the affair Is brought
into the fun limeligbt Of publicity. ana
then the harm resulting therefrom is in
calculable.
American Method Different,
Here in the United States. although
publicity is regarded as the best safe
guard OF public morality, yet the press
displays. as a general rule. a reticence IN
dealing with certain scandals and q re-
gard for the sentiments of its readers.
which is lacking abroad. In Europe
from the moment case gets into court
and no provision is made for hearing II
in camera, the newspapers apparently
consider themselves free 10 print every
scrap Of testimony, no. matter how re-
voting Their license i'm this respect is.
indeed, extraordinary, and results. per
haps, from the extreme severity with
which the libel laws weigh upon them.
restricting them IN the discussion Of mat
tiers not technically privileged as the pro-
ceedings Of a court of law Testimony
is printed in even the most reputable IL
European newspapers. which would never
appear in print in the most yellow and
sensational Of the organs of the American
press-not because Of any censorship on /
the part of the constituted authorities /
here. but because the American newspa- |
pers are compelled 10 conform themselves /
to the taste and sense of prOpriety OF /
their readers
We have. therefore. on the one side the |
European method Of hushing up scandals !
by the authorities, coupled with the most !
license on the part Of the /
press, when, unfortunately. and by way I
u an exception. some of them get into /
court; and on the other hand, the Ameri- /
,an way of declining 10 hush Up crimes. |
coupled with an extreme reserve of the /
i'm dealing with ofenses cal /
,ulated 70 offend the moral sense of the |