The Weekly Comet

Moral Power of the Press—The New York Herald, in a recent excellent article upon rowdyism in that city, says: Our contemporaries of the country journals are very indignant concerning the state of society, politics and justice law and order existing in New York, as illustrated by the developments of this ruffianly tragedy, and well may they be. But our city newspaper press is unjustly accused of pandering to this deplorable state of things. We say unjustly accused; for the truth is that this vast metropolitan community owe whatever of law and order they may still have to the vigilance and energy of our independent newspaper press. If our city journals were suspended for a week, burglars, rogues and assassins, crimes and anarchy would run the riot amongst us. Put out the city gas lights for a week and what a schedule of robberies, fires and murders would be the result! But suspend the newspaper press for the same time, and the moral darkness which would be far more conducive to the return of ruffians and terrorism than physical darkness.