Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-02-14
SHOULD BE PROHIBITED.


the press about what is called yellow
journalism and that class of Journal
ism IS constantly being held up for the
scorn of an intelligent reading public by
the daily press of the country. The
most potent objection that can be rails
ed to the yellow journals is, that they
cater to morbid sensation mongers and
publish things that are corrupting to
the general moral tone of the people.
That these things are published and
that they bear abundant fruits cannot
pc disputed. Is such work confined ex-
clusively to the so-called yellow Jour
nals?' Is not almost the entire press
OF the country, especially the daily
newspapers, guilty in a large degree Of
the same offense or social crime?
Ever since the killing of Stanford
White by Harry Thaw the daily press
of the country has fairly overlooked
with horrible details of that revolving
crime, giving it publicity that would
hardly have been accorded the most
worthy reform movement that has been
lnaugurated in modern times. There
can be but one motive for newspapers
gratifying the prurient appetites of the
lovers of the unclean and sensational,
that is to create demand for the pa
pers that contain such publications and
enlarge the circulation. One of the
great daily papers on the 9th inst. con-
tanned press dispatch from New York
which began as follows:
The amazing amount of unsavory
detail which Evelyn's life story contain
ed had brought the morbid sensation
lnongers swooping down upon the Grim
incl Courts Building like so many buzz
yards. Richly gowned women elbowed
and struggled and fought with the hen
carrion birds to gain entrance at the
choked DOORS"
The newspapers of New York, and of
the country generally, were largely re-
sponsible for the lack of decorum and
decency attending the trial of the most
gilded crime that has been known in the
history of this land. 1t was the contin-
uous presentation by the newspapers of
the most hideous details of the Thaw
case for months preceding the trial that
drew the buzzards to the scene. Is it
any wonder that a scene thus described
by the press correspondent was wit
messed:
Those who entered seemed to
thoroughly enjoy lthe prospect of the
scandal meal before them. They buzz
zed and whispered and smiled expect
antly, and when the girlish witness ap-
peared they nudged each other and then
began a minute ocular inspection of
her face, her figure and her attire
The newspapers have been saying
great deal about the recent report of
the Postal Commission, because of the
recommendations made therein for
seriously curtailing the freedom of the
press. These criticisms on the part of
the press have been, in the main, well
founded. But, if the Postal Commits
sion would substitute for the objection
able features of the report a recommen-
dation that statute be enacted to pro-
hibit newspapers from passing through
the mails when they contain sensation
al, graphically detailed accounts of the
many brutal crimes committed, such a
recommendation should be cordially
supported by all good people and all /
newspapers that desire to elevate pub
lie morality. We notice that a large
mass meeting of women has been held
in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and vigor-
our protest made against the publication
of the revolving details of the Thaw
case. Not only ought protests to be
made by the clean women and men of
the country in the Thaw case, but in all
the other terrible cases that are being
detailed with all their filthy and hideous
features to morbid public.
In Canada they have law which pro-
hibits newspapers from publishing the
unclean details of criminal trials. One
has violated that law in con- {
nection with the Thaw trial. and the ;
are taking steps to enforce
the penalty of the law against the ;
offending newspaper :
Until the daily newspapers cease to !
publish sensational accounts of the re- I
roIting crimes and trials, they should