The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-02-03
Crime i'm the Newspapers.

From the GAINESVILLE Gazette.
Persons who regularly read the sensa-
tional daily newspapers, printed in any
large city, are appalled, at the enormous
amount of space that is taken up with
accounts of murders, tbefts, seductions,
adulteiies, divorces, and the long list of
other misdemeanors that belong under
the general head of crime. Take any of
the Chicago daily papers for month,
and there is enough Of this vile food
printed in its columns to poison the
minds of the young people in any family
into which it may be carried and set
them thinking of things that are not
wholesome food for thought, and yet pa
rents subscribe for them without seeming
to think of the truth of the old adage,
+" that there is nothing so permanent as
first impressions" 1t has got to be the
habit of many daily papers now, to gather
/ up and print every tale Of scandal that is
atioat in the haunts of the large cities
and cases that have their origin in giving
| free reign to lust, are published in all
their disgusting details and with mimi
tia which leaves little or nothing for The
| imagination to conceive Aided by the
telegraph, there is not an important
case of adultury, seduction or abortion
the world over but that these scavengers
spread before their subscribers, and the
papers are purchased and read with an
avidity which is proof positive to the
publishers that they have furnished a
lgood thing. eve print newspaper"
they say, "just as a man mas es coat or
hat, to sell, and we must make it so enter
tanning that people will like it and buy
it," 8
If this is true, and experience proves it
to be so to some extent, then the only
cure is for the public to refuse to patron
ize the papers that cater to this base and
! vul gar taste, and certainly no parent who
wishes to preserve the virtue and modesty
of his children will allow them free
access to papers of this class. 1t is not
complimentary to the press of the large
cities to say, and have ittrue afterit il
said, that large nuRll5er of their paper'
/ contain so much that is SO absolutely OBJ
scene, vulgar and indecent, that it is unfi,
to be read at all by any young person, no
to say anything of the utter impropriety
of having it read aloud in the family Cir
Gle. oaa
How are we to stop the flood of Grim,
that is now sweeping over the land, like
la deluge, threatening to bury moralit.
and social virtue beneath its angry tide
The world is either rapidly growing
! worse, or else our facilities for knowing
every wicked act that is committed
everywhere, are much better than for
merly. Taking up an enterprising" !!
daily paper OF the sensational sort, we fine
a detailed account of the murder Of 1
ravlsher by the wronged woman and hel
+ husband. Next is the story Of the Rev
; Cook, the gay Methodist clergyman il
New York who recently ran away with ;
Young girl, member of his own church
and to whom he had often administered
1.-THE sacrament. Then the story of The
! high sheriff of Chicago who deserted hi
wife ond two interesting children anc
departed for parts unknown with dis
; reputable woman. After this is tht
: trial for divoce between people ii
h high life wherein both parties accuse
each other of infdelity to the marriage
relation, and prooe the charge true, with 8
; particuiarity of detail and incident thai
anv decent man or woman ought to blush
to See in print Then follow such tri1es
as rapes, seductions, and other violations
of law that have their origin in unlicensed
passion. .,,vr.
4 If we could only say with truth thai
this increase of crime is owing to the
ignorance and poverty of the people, il
would solace our pride and inspire the
hope that our common school system arc
other means of educating the masses
would work reform after while, BIT
that assertion would not be true, if made
because it is VIGOROUSLY the fact that Of
the crimes which come of improper init
macy between the sexes, a large propo
ton of them are among those who move
in the best circles. In this land of plenty
very few people are driven to the com
mission Of crime for the want of bread
4 but are led to it in most instances by In
centives that are allied to pride and
worldly show, and by the absence Of
moral restraint The cashiers or conf
Dental clerks gaudy wife who insists o.
j Haunting her silks and fummery on the
sidewalks, is thousand times as likely
to drive her husband to be defaulter, q
forger or an embezzler, as the woman
who has been raised to practice that rigid
ECONOMY which fosters honesty and in
spires confidence with all.
Ws
CURE FOR LoCKJAw.-A correspondent Of
the Scientific american recommends turpe1'
. s;xo oe n oT,ra for lcokiayv eaVR - Lei