The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-07-21
READING

eyer-increasing as is the N4pQ5F 64fepch
food the constant demand fnoTe Ss1r.
passes the supply. Day and 4 tbs tire
less Press grinds out this eySod5-<g9cd
grain, occasionally, but, mqttlE chaR Md
empty husks. The people SseShily deyear
and cry for more. Their seps leeSd
but cannot be appease&. ASsa MI they
devour they are not over. fastidious. Their
,a3petites morbid and deprayed have an
inordinate craving for unhealthy diet. Sim
pie fare Of wholesome thought quits them
not. They read,-and read, land read
WHAT Observation-Disclosures any shape,
1os any kind, from anyspen, on any spbject,
In any Atyle. = 49, -. !. a.
This iAsa !age ofaaHi yeraal sights ;--and 7
every body who can read, and most CAN
claims the right to read snythins and
everything. h there such right f-Hsye
the eyss an exceptional privilege to read
just what they please r. - :, - - =.
Noi-says the Catholic Church. Uni
versal reading 10 wrong,-wrong in prin-
cipls,-provtd. doubly wrong BY GOMEZ
quences. No, -says common sense. Indis-
eliminate reading is' not atiEht. A false
word has not the same rights - . tsae
word. No,-says experience. Promiscn-
Gus reading ruins mind as we'll a. morale.
Before the law of human reason as before
the law of Reason divine, bad book has
NO right save the right to be condemned.
No one has the right to write bad
book,-and written, no one has the right
to read it.
Gods lava bind tho entire man,-his
inner faculties as we'll as his outer senses.
Nor do those laws take into smallest ac-
count the mere pleasure Of any one.
Evil, in any and every form, is mans
enemy because it is Gods enemy. It must
be Stunned. Evil has NO privileges,-sin
has no prerogatives,- has ne rights.
Evil words like evil MON ve5 are bound
to avoid. Bad books like bad associations
We must fly. We were made for the true
and the good and the besusiful ;-and what.
soever,-be 1t an, evil thought,-anl evil
man,-an evil book or any other form of
evil,-would interpose an obstacle between
US and the true and the good and beautiful,
that We must condemn aodavoid.-
To claim the right to read anything
logically destroys the distinction between
good sudi evil, --whiiv to exercise that right
leads, in most cases, to the victory Of evil
over good.
Will that mind long stand pure to truth
which il constantly in communion with
falseliood Can that imagination, for long,
1pmain true to purity, which is constantly
'Hlling its fancies with images of the SEN
snail Will that heart beat in harmony
with the good which 10 kept In contact with
the evil f-No-'tis against law aud nature.
Through the senses this outer world en-
tiers the soul. ...
The Eve senses are the Ave ways to the
heart. If good,-and only good walks
these ways the heart is safe. If evil con-
SANITY passes there-it soon fills the
heart,-and virtue has no room. Evil is
never so strong as when it hides itself
back Of beautiful words. A bad book 10
worse than bad man. 1t enters society
when wicked man could not. And then,
silently its works Its work of ruin.
1t becomes a companiop,-a friend 1t
exercises fascinating influence. Like the
serpent it charms in order to destroy. 1t
passes from hand to hand, 1t talks to the
soul through the eyes and poisons, with
the poison of moral death, its unsuspecting
victim.
The press, we admit, is a huge institu-
ton, bat the press, we must acknowledge,
does an immense harm in this world.
1t sends forth more evil than good
more false than true.
1t is 9 teacher but its lessons democrat
ize it's pupils.
1t is guide,-but it leads to false paths.
1t is a power,-but its power is becoming
destructive. |
1t increases the quaDtity,-but certainly |
it does not improve the quality Of litera-
ture. 1t is Indifferent as to what it
printo, good or bad, pure or impure, For
it, like all other institutions cave one,
works for money not for morale. Under tto |
influence this generation is degenerating. |
For every good book It issues there are |