The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-12-19
The Press as an Educator.
For the Telegraph.

The Press as an Educator.
:, For the Telegraph
St In schools, are presented the thoughts anc
ID deeds of past centuries, ideas whose trntb
+ mas been tested, and systems whose opera.
N tions and effects are fully known A theory
or statement, at variance with later scien
tlnc demonstrations, fails to occasion belief
lor moment. and only excites smile by
lts aosurdity or passing admiration for its
ingenuity. This result is accomplished by
the common possession of the results of scien-
tlnc inquiry, and is rendered doubly secure
oy notes and comments of later authors,
mus system or creed is proved by the
standard of the Present, which, like thin.
rlels spear, INSTANTLY makes complex N.Y.
thology appear in its true light as tissue
OF deceptive faDcies In this manner. the
false Is rejected instantareousIy,w with scarce
y any consciousness of the proving process
We read Of Socrates boldly asserting that
the Sun and Moon are Divinities, but no
one thinks of placing particle of faith in
his creed. We read, unmoved with wonder,
OF the pigmies, and giants and monsters,
that are described even in ancient histories.
yet every day, among us, theories as
fantastic, founded upon hypothesis as wild
and chlmerical gain credence and support
and occasionally, great truth is announ-
ced, to be received with sneers and distrust
VI these two kinds of attempts to reveal the
unknown, is composed contemporary litera-
ture. Especially of suoh ingredients is
made up periodical literature, and here,
there is no well known STANDARD by which
each statement may be proved no notes or
commentaries aid in selecting the True and
leaving the false. In this mass of frantic
gsaspings after truth, of cunning attempts {
to mislead, of insane decisions, must every
man grope and choose GU by thought the
particle OF good TO be found there. Here.
where embryonic systems first give signs !
OF approaching birth, every man must de-
eide for himself what is monstrous and
what, natural. Here, lies, then. a great
part OF the secondary education of men; and
thus the Press exerts great influence up-
on the development Of mind, aud the foun- i
datloE OF character Therefore in great
measure. how one reads and what one reads
OF the journals of his country. vii. deter
mine his intellectual strength or weakness s
But the Press exercises another influence,
upon the moral development; good or bad
as it biases toward virtue or vice. Perhaps
it will not be real to say that the prepon-
derance or IL tiuence in the United States ia
N the wrong direction. A great number
OF journals grope i'll the filth and mire of
crime for items that interest by causing an
unhealthful excitement Their editors have
been htly likened to Bunyan's ''mau with the
muck-rake." Many publications. ostensibly
neaOs papers and 'moulders of public opin- {
ion," devote large space in every issue to .
revolving particulars of disgusting crimes.
and worse than this, enlven the description {
with coarse jokes and double esetendre. The 1
apparent object is to hold up as examples, :
the tateg OF those who live in crimes, but a
the real object is manifest from the fact; 9
that, while the details are given at great :
length, headed with staring capitals and in /
terspersed with the spice of w.t. the pun b
lshment and moral reflection are included u
in two lines of small type This is consid- r
cred to atone for the Dauseatiug picture, h
just as the Cornic Drainatists Of the Resto- IL
rative propitiated their consciences by ad- Il
ding weak coupet of moral" to long !
comedy, filled with Righteousness and de-
pravity Of late, papers are multip lying,
whose sole business is to record the proceed.
ings of Police Courts, and to collect the par !,
ticulars of intrigues throughout the coun- s
try. Here crimes are strikingIy presented, 4
as sweet morsels and rare bits to be greedi-
lY seized by a depraved public. These pa !,
pers are also educators and leaders. But 8
sorry education they afford; they can lead t
Physicians, and others who have watched q
the operation of such causes upon the hu- t
man mind, make bold to say that fully one I
half of the faux pas and slips from virtue !.
that now occur, are brought about by these 4
very causes. Such publications have even t
revolutionized the method Of descent to i
Avernus In Juvenals time it was an &C. )
cepted truth, that, ''no one becomes very I
base suddenly" but now, frequently, bands /
the high road as foot pads, ready to make a
capital crime their first misdemeanor and ;
girls, by single plunge voluntarily throw f
themselves into that Stygian abyss whence 9
there is no ez tricatiou, and this as the di !.
rect aud legitimate result Of Of the education {
given by corrupt press. II
How to render harmless these poisoned
shafts, must be vital question to all who
have the interests Of the.young at heart {
Perhaps these publications can never be
suppressed by legislation, probably they
will continue to multiply. These surmises,
fearful as they are, are logical conclusions,
clearly deducible from every mans expert
ence. Laws are now upon the Statue books
which, in spirit, provide for the suppression
of just such publications, but the subtleties
turns and circumlocutions employed by the
panderers to the public, completely bind