New-York tribune., 1911-02-27
Personal Journalism.

SO much abuse has been lavished during
the last few weeks on both sides of the
Atlantic upon that form Of journalism
which deals with persons rather than with
events that IL may not be amiss to point
out here that a knowledge of persons is
indispensable to the correct appreciation of
events II is much easier for people to
understand and TO form correct 1udg-
ment Of the acts Of a ruler. OF a statesman
or Of an administrator If ono is acquaint-
Cd with his history, his characteristics. his
family antecedents. his failngs, and with
the influences TO which he is subject. These
influences are OF the most varied character,
and the more that they can be revealed 10
the people tho better II Is for the common
wealth.
II is the gossipy memoirs Of the seven
teentn. eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
that enable us 10 comprehend the oft mys-
terous passages OF the history of those
eras. and in the same way 1t Is the per-
sonal journalism of to-day that permits
US to form an intelligent judgment of the
various events, political and otherwise.
that will 20 TO make up the history Of the
twentieth century.
That Is why it is absurd 10 decry what
very people who affect to desplse it the
most and who are loudest in their denun-
Citations thereof are the ones who contrib
ute thereto and who revel therein Per-
sonal journalism in England, for instance.
has its origin, not in the kitchen or in the
butlers pantry, but>in the smoking rooms
Of clubs ana I'm the salons of MAYFAIR The
late Earl Of Desart was for many years
known as Vanity Fair" which deals ex-
clusively with the doings of society, with
gossip concerning them and with personaH-
ties in the United Kingdom and on the
Continent. The Earl OF Wintertop-the only
earl, by the way, who occupies a seat in
the House OF Commons. his peera ges being
Irish Ones-has just completed 3 three-year
term. not merely of proprietorship. but also
Of very active editorship Of The London
World" which is likewise wholly devoted
20 personalities and 70 tho portraiture Of
prominent people, Of their moods. their
fads, their appearance and their actions
Lady sykes was for a time the editor. pro-
prietor and chief writer OF a weekly paper
entitled The Review Of Society" IN which
she expressed herself with the utmost can
dor about the stortcon ings and the foibles
of her relatives. friends and acquaintances
without ever inJuring in the slightest degree
her position IN society, a position. which
comes 10 her as the wife Of Sir Tatton
Sykes and as q very conspicuous member
Of the ducal house OF Portland
The Duchess % Suthcrland's brother,
the Earl Cf Rosslvn edited for a time a
particularly racv weekly journal. bearing
the name Scottish Lie" and which
dealt almost exclusively with the oddities
and the romances Of the various houses Of
the aristocracy Of the northern kingdom
Lady Colin Campbell, sister-in-law of the
royal Duchess Of Argyll and daughter-in-
law OF the late Duke OF Argyll. has long
been working on the staff of The London
World" above mentioned which she joined
after the failure OF q society journal OF
her own founding while London Truth
which will prove invaluable to the his
torian Of the last three decades OF the
~neteenth century and Of the beginning
on the twentieth century. was founded
owned, edited and 70 a great extent writ
ten by Henry Labouchere, whose fathers
brother was the late Lord Taunton and
who. despite his Radical opinions, which he
cyuically professed IN the House Of Com
mons. is an aristocrat 'jusqu'au bout des
onples.' English society owes a deep debt
N gratitude 10 Henry Labouchere and 10
.Trutb' for the shams OF a social charac-
ter and the frauds that il has exposed and
for the abuses that It has combated until
they were removed.
The late Lord Glenesk, with Sir Algernon
yvest and several other kindred spirits
occunvinc a conspicuous position in so
ciet, ran for a time the most daring
and niouant OF so-called society journals.
knou,n ag 'yThe owl" Of which Lord
Gienesk was the actual editor, and which
was written entirely By men Of birth.
Edmund Yates. it NAV be recalled. spent a
wear In prison rather than reveal in court