The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-16
TRY THE monographs.

An examination of two Salt Lake
newspapers of yesterday discloses an
editorial frame Of mind that cannot be
duplicated anywhere in this country,
and probably has never been paraIleled
I'm the history of American journalism.
Both of these newspapers devoted
their entire editorial page, excepting
paragraphs, to unpleasant, not to say
ungentlemanly comment on some other
Salt Lake newspaper. Both discussed
subjects which have been constantly
debated by them editOrially for the
past three years in one instance. and
for almost as long a time in the other.
In neither case was a single new idea
produced; in neither was there a CLEAN
of the saving humOr which sometimes
excuses partisan controversy. 1t would
not be charitable to say that both of
these editorial pages were uncommon
ly stupid, but it would be true TO say
that both were parlously near the tire
some mark.
OF course, if the publishers of these
newspapers like that sort of thing. the
public has no way of stopping them,
but in the interest Of a more cheerful
community and in behalf of a long
Suffering public, couldn't they ring in
a little variety once in a while?
The Herald's motives in making this
suggestion are entirely disinterested
Obviously, The Herald profits from the
Adullamite editorial policy of its COM
petitoTs. since the reading public has
more discrimination than some editO-
rial writer's believe and like to have
their news served up with some show
of good nature and tolerance. AS a
matter of business, the prolongation Of
the controversy between other news
papers ought to be encouraged by The
Herald, but as matter of public COM
fort the row ought to be stopped.
Practically two months must elapse
before the real campaign for the city
election begins-two months when most
folks prefer to take a little recreation
and have surcease of politics. This
is the time of year when even the
church people relax a little and seek
the joys of the open air; the time when
business men cut out the business as
much as possible and look over their
fishing tackle, when nobody but the
iceman and the resort managers ought
to have any troubles.
Yet the politicians in Salt Lake and
their newspapers devote pages to vio-
lent alteration and abuse of each
other, and the summer stranger look
ing for repOse and recreation finds, or
thinks he finds, a community engaged
i'm internecine war.
What's the use of summer season,
anyway, if one can't get away from
politics? Why have hammocks and
good fishing, tennis courts and lake
bathing, if some belligerent cuss of a
peace of mind every day with descrip-
tions of horrible things happening in
the very midst of things urban?
1t seems like an almost hopeless
task, but The Herald means to keep on
asking for peace, or at least an armis-
tiCS, uilll ABOUT OSpt. 10. surely the
American" party can't do any worse
than it has been doing, so there isn't
any need Of talking much about 1t.
The Smoot machine will keep on ma
Ginning, Smoot himself will keep on
holding his seat in the senate, Pat Mo-
ran will keep on laying pavement and
billing the city for extras. There is no
way of getting change in the city ad-
ministration until November, and there |
is no large demand for campaign ed |
itorials and conversation before, gay, |
Sept. 10. So what's the use of using up
SO much valuable editorial space be- |
fore then?
If it relieves the editorial writers any /
to talk about each other, why not let |
them get some monographs, talk into |
the machines and then exchange rec
ords? They could grind out a bunch |
of Ieft-handed compliments Cor each /
other on the machines and then write |
something else more cheerful for pub
LEGATION.
Such an arrangement would have |
several advantages. 1t would save the |
public the trouble Of lodging editcria 5,