The Press and the Divorce Court

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 102, 5 March 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Press and the Divorce Court

The following circular tatter, which lias, been, signed by many men of eminence, including Mr W. E. Glad-, atone, the Duke of Westminister,. Earl Selborne, Cardinal Manning, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir Henry James, Mr Arnold Morley, Canon Parrar, and Professor Tyndall has been. addressed to the London papers. ■\Vi6-. the undersigned, respectively 3u-ggest to . all those who . have • the control of the daily Press. the desirability of i some combined, action, by which, they may minimise,, if they catinot wholly, suppress, , the details, of the divorce cases and criminal trials auch-as those which of: late haye ■ occupied so many columns .©f the newspapers. W.e are aware that the fear of publicity is one of the most; powerful- deterrents . to , the commission, of, crime^ nsr have we the least desire to . shelter the- misdeeds °f offenders, because, of -any. position ,in , society, which they, may occupy. But we have a ; Btrong: conviction , that the • necessary, ■publicity, could; be. secured, without, the- divulgenee of details of a demoralising ci^afaic.tei. and .w;e.hay e. reason,;tD

fear that the full record of instances in these cases ministers to> a diseased appetite, and produces a most unwholesome effect on : many minds, W» desire further to call attention to the inevitable evils which must result from, thus, familiarising withi vice the minds of tens; of thousands of young persons- of both sexes,, from whom, in these days, it i* impossible to keep the daily newspapers. We do not reflect for one moment on the motives of any who have considered it their duty to publish full reports of these trials, but we are sure that a combined effect to keep the pages of newspapers as free as possible from the strain of such impurities would be conducive to the public good.