Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-11-13

tears to mothers eyes, sor-
row to a daughters heart, the
blush of shame to a wife's face, dis
grace to a worthy son. humiliation TO
a respectable father, the items that
represent the sin and the wrongdoings
of erring humanity. And, after all,
isn't it true that it is these very items
| that many newspapers are most intent
on publishing, most eager to pry out,
quickest to hunt the details of? And
what good do they do the community
when they are published? Don't they
leave bitter taste in the mouth, don't
they leave unpleasant suggestions in
| the minds of many, don't they bring
the bar sinister to many an escutch-
con that has hitherto been unblemish-
| ed? Perhaps if newspapers were more
alert in the discovery and elaboration
of news that is really beneficial, that
is genuinely stimulating and helpful to
the real interests of the community,
| there would be less. people rushing to
their offices with requests that items
be suppressed.
Of course it is the duty of a news
paper to publish news, but news"
need not necessarily be made so broad
term as to include every bit of scan
dial that is afioat, the scattering of the
details of every offense against deem
cy that is committed, the prying into
family troubles to satisfy the disgust
ing pruriency of those of base minds,
| the gratifying OF the lecherous
| thoughts of the impure, the catering to
| those whose greatest happiness is in
seeing some one dragged down into
the mire. The public interest is best
| served by the suppression of many
| items of news that suit that part of
the public whose mental condition
thrives best, apparently, on carrion.
And when it is necessary to give news
of crimes that violate the public sense
of moral propriety certainly the news
paper that reaches the innocent girl,
| that goes into the heart of the family
| circle where decency is enthroned, can
well afford to eliminate everything ex-
cept the barest references to the crime
! and the punishment. And when it is
possible to omit such items entirely
who can say that the public interests
have not thereby been promoted and
/ the standard of usefulness and sphere
of influence of the newspaper proper
tionately advanced. 1t is we'll, indeed,
/ that the guilty should be exposed and
| punished, but too frequently the news
papers in their desire to assist in this
entirely forget and ignore the innocent
and in the furnishing of the one drag
| through the torments of hell a score
whose skirts are without stain.
Certain metropolitan newspapers
have set the pace in the publication OF
/ all the details of filth that goes with
| certain violations of the statutes, of
! all the horrifying details of murders Of
certain types, and of all the offensive
particulars of nauseating scandals in
high life. That the newspapers of the
! South have been slow to emulate them
speaks we'll for the press in this Sec
ton, as well as for the tone of public
| thought. But there are many other
items of news, so called, that can be
pruned or omitted without a single
genuine interest of the public suffer-
ing and thereby anguish saved TO
hearts that have already suffered to
the extreme. 1t may be legitimate to
publish such items, they may be good
space filters, they may cause a certain
stir in the community and cause the
paper to be talked about, but it is still
an open question whether the public
interests and the newspapers highest
interests would not have been best
served by their omission. There is
ample news of the right sort when the
reporters are inclined to hunt for it
news that tells for the upbuilding of q
city and the encouragement Of its
people in the elevating activities Of
life. On every newspaper office wall
there might well be written Shake
speare's noble tribute to what Beau
mont termed "The greatest attribute n
heaven:
The quality of mercy is not strained;
1t droppeth as the gentle dew from
heaven
Upon the place beneath. 1t is twice
blessed:
1t blesses him that gives and him that
takes.
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY