| Show disreputable literature nasty journalism esthe title of an article in the tho springfield republican in which the writer deals some home thrusts at a class of newspapers the numbers of wh which ch are increasing in the east that are d devoted to illustrations of scenes of violence crime and lust he ile says if the puritan element in the country has done asserting itself and intends to lie ile under the feet of license let us 08 know it and hear no more prating of morals these journals are just what we have been as a nation decrying the use of in europe and here they are full blown among us more numerous more filthy and cheaper than in england or france they are sold everywhere in cars steamboats and on hotel steps country people ask the newsboys to bring bobring them copies and always look disappointed when they do not come every one in america knows enough about the under world without having it dragged into his notice it is a lamentable fact that the liberty i of the press which is so much lauded as 01 one ope a of the great blessings of our age and nation has degenerated into license A free press when properly used is a source of great good to those who enjoy it but when abused it becomes an injury ja iry try and a curse to all who come within tho range of its influence we Wc are areno no friend of despotism but we have laidve often thought that the exercise of arbitrary authority for length of time to stop the issue of sheets which are a disgrace to journalism would be an unmitigated benefit to the people A great number of the evils under which the rhe nation is now groaning are directly traceable to corrupt and unprincipled journalism journalists have not been prompted as a class elass by high pure ure mo tives lives but they have been in ohp the tue e market for the highest bidder willing to sell themselves their influence with the public and their columns for money and this too without regard to the good or evil to be wrought out by their so doing A licentious venal press if sustained can soon debauch public sentiment and lower the standard of morals to suit its ideas peoples views insensibly to themselves are to the shape given them b by the paper they read everything Ts Is viewed through the eyes of the editor and his writers and seen in the color in which they place it the nasty journals are not the only ones which are working out injury to the people the th seed they sow pow yields a prolific and frightful har harvest esi but there are other journals which are injurious and dangerous the more so perhaps because they do not have gaudy gauly badly executed illustrations of scenes beenes of violence lust and crime to excite emotions of repugnance in those who examine them the nasty journals are but seldom seen here but tho the others the cheap novelettes nove lettes sensational story papers and others of that class are very common and the injury they are accomplishing comp lishing is much greater than many people imagine to know the character of a mans mind the nature of his thoughts and the extent and variety of his views views we have only to be informed respecting what he reads the mind what food is to the body if it be sound the mind will be healthy its action will bo be vigorous I 1 and its thoughts correct and pure but such reading as is too common and in our terri territory tory and among our young people too must produce different effects enn ecta to thebe if sensational papers novels and trashy journals of that class formed the chief staple of a peoples reading their most bitter ought to bo be satisfied and content for they would only have to wait but a short time until their demoralization would b complete this may be unpalatable to some but it is nevertheless true |
