Scandal Buying by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 28, 1911

Scandal Buying

By Editor

The London Times editorially and by its correspondents points out a dastardly mean kind of journalism recently disclosed by a person who is by letters and offers of money over an assumed name, endeavoring to bribe servants of prominent persons in England to reveal the weaknesses, secrets, foibles, faults, family skeletons, and whatever else will pander to a prurient taste, of prominent important personages, royalty, bearers of titles, etc., etc. This anonymous journalist says that she wants it for American journals, who will pay handsomely for such stuff.

No words can rightly denounce such reprehensible and pitifully low conduct. No honorable journal would stoop to such methods; no honorable or decent "correspondent" would seek to bribe or debase a class of persons who should hold in highest confidence the families and households in which they are trusted employees. For servants thus to betray a household, for guests or sojourners thus to betray those of whose benefits and hospitality they have partaken, is dishonorable, mischievous, malefic, corrupting, detestable, mean, abominable.

There may be a few American journals that would stoop to such things. The great mass of the people, we are constrained to believe, have little interest in them, especially among those in other lands. Such journals are seeking the patronage of a cheap and superficial class of people. What an accursed thing gossip is anywhere and everywhere!