The Detroit times., 1912-03-18


rosy tints TO a wife's deep dishoncr
or the selling Of Fantine's beautiful
teeth and hairNto bus medicine FOL
her child Cosette. as depicted by the
rare genius OF Victor Hugo. come.
from giving the wantonness OF sri.
settle a glamour that will enthral
girlhond.-
A history of the day that relates
only TO whatsoever things are pure
and lovely and OF good report, is a
fallacious chronicle.
Ii is a breach OF contract between
the editor and subscriber. for Il Il
not news but the record OF the world
idealized. II reverses the present Ie
assuring order and suggests thu
domestic virtue is so exceptional,
business honesty 80 out OF the ordi
nary and political integrity so un
common that IL takes the entire news
paper 10 tell about them
No doubt the evil men and women
do is told too much In detail, but there
are instances in which the newSpa'
pers are not explicit enough i'm deal
ing with things that a false modeSty
has regarded as unfit for publication
We are just beginning 10 realize
that the youth of the land ought 10
be enlightened upon sex hygiene, up
on the unspeakable dangers of trans
mitted infection. upon the necessity OF
imposing stricter tests of fitness for
the marriage relation.
The silence OF the press upon these
vital things has been most ill-advised
and unfortunate: let us rejoice THAI
there are newspapers now as ready
10 use their columns for the prsven-
ton OF the baneful fruits of ignorance,
perversity and undeveloped will pow
er as there are TO record the tragic
consequences OF sexual abnormality
and blood faint, as revealed in the
social vice, white slave traffic, insan
ity, etc.
To be courageous. yet discreet, In
this form OF instruction belongs 20
she editors mission. But there is al51
a ministry OF mirth. Who can esti-
mate the extent 10 which he has
chased away the clouds OF lifes
tempestuous hours" and induced for.
plexities of the passing day by turd-
ing loose those drolls, harlequins aid
merrymen of the printed page, the
paragraphists, rhymsters, caricltur-
lists and cartoonists
For all that they have done 4~i tn
quip and song and comic picture 70
break up the solemnity OF reforming
the nation or solving the high cost OF
living. let us give them our heartfelt
thanks.
Their art brings us all down 70
earth; saves us from too much serious
ness or self-appreciation by the way
they hit off our frailties and ioiD,es
in paragraph. jingle and sketch. AL
hail this jolly life-saving service OF
the press!
We have endeavored TO develop the
editors code of ethics by comparing
his relationship TO those he serves
with the obligations of his precur5oI
in public service. the orator.
Happy is he in having both methods
OF getting before the people at his
disposal for If so be IL he follows
reasonably high standard OF ethics
in making a newspaper, he will need
the platform occasionally il not qdIti
regularly in order to let the good
people Of the community know that
there is newspaper Of character be
ing printed in their midst.
II he Is able 10 speak anywhere
near as acceptably as he writes, &c
may command some dozen paltry
shillings 10 help him keep his mode
newspaper alive: for while church
folk and cultured citizens generally
may not consider it incumbent upon
them to take newspaper with
ideals, they are not the ones TO un-
duly harass an editor who is able t
raise enough money TO continue III
publication without calling on then
for sympathy or support.
AS a matter OF professional pro
priety or consistency. the platform i;
the only place a conscientious pub
Usher can go IL he cares TO extend tbs
area of his activities.
On the platform he can stand fol
the things he espouses in his paper
II he went into other things-a public
service corporation. bank, factory
or mine-he would naturally am
inevitably stand for these interests
before standing for the people. anf
they would come in TO possess his
preferences and his enthusiasms.
There is nothing for the editor L
10 but to be just an editor; this Is
the remuneration he Is called upon t.
make in the spirit of devotion to th'
common good For the philanthrop
lists are not alone those who give ou
OF their vast accumulations to public
projects; one can be philanthropis
by refusing to accumulate more thar
he needs, while he goes about remem
berlng the forgotten man as he advo
Gates industrial and social justice.
A conscientious editor gives ava,
library every day as he goes along
a rich and wonderful library, 25,.
OOO-mile shelf that Is complete
education in itself; the disgrace oil