The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-04-19
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Reporters of Genius
And Education"
Pin Bach the Ears OF
Crooked Police Judges
Put We'll Street Bankers
On the Oriddle
IN THE second issue of the New
L York Morning Herald. pub
lished . week after the first,
James Gordon Bennett reiter-
sted the announcement 81 ms
policy TO publish an independent
newspaper for intelligent peo-
pie" and added that ne would
cover q larger field than the
other papers. The Sun and
Transcript, the two penny pap
ers with which the Herald would
have to compete. featured, in
stereotyped and colorless style,
news OF the police courts. Oc-
casionally there was an attempt
TO inject a humorous incident
into the routine story: some of
the reporters. for obvious rea-
sons. played up the police judges
as veritable Solomons come to
judgment when everybody knew
they were only smart politicians
who had acquired soft jobs and
were using their positions for
the good Of the party and them
selves
Bennett denounced his rivals
for their treatment of the police
court trash" and declared that
we shall exclude such folly
from our columns; and only
trouble our readers with that
species OF reading when there
Is something interesting or use
ful TO relate" Police reporters
he characterized as dirty police
scavangers from the lanes and
alleys Of London, whose activi-
ties should be put a stop 10 in
this land of yet uncontaminated
taste in newspaper reading"
To meet this situation Ben
nett advertised at the head of
his editorial column for "a police
reporter of genius and educa-
tton," with the provision THAT
none need reply unless he can
report with far more taste and
judgment than those Of the Sun
and Transcript"
There must have been re-
Spouse TO the advertisement.
Police reports soon began 10 ap-
pear in the Herald, but mot in
dulging in those low scenes so
vulgarly described that too often
disgrace the columns of papers
generally"
Benefits reporters soon be-
came specialists in exposing the
trickery and favoritism behind
certain police court cases. but
they did II with the finesse OF
gentlemen Of taste and refine
ment."
Bennett also attacked his op-
position in another weak SPOT
financial news. Up to that time
most Of the financial news had
been the handouts" written by
Wall street press agents and CIV
en- only such information as the
stock brokers and bankers
thought the people ought to
have. The Wall street news and
comment which appeared in the
Herald, written by Bennett him
self, soon came TO be recognized
as authoritative.
AS a result of these elaborate
reports of the operations in Wall
street, the state of the money
market and the fluctuations in
exchange" Bennett declared
that there was not a person in
business in the lower part of
the city who did not read the
Herald every day" that every
bank. every insurance company.
every broker take it in" Some
OF the banks subscribed for
several copies and subscriptions
soon came from banks in the
west.
Some Of BENEFITS critics said
ne would lose business by his
treatment of Wall street news.
In the first place II was said
that the mass Of the people
could not understand financial
news. anyway; and in the sec
ond place he would lose the bust