Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-04-10
What the Press is Doinq.

Everybody admits the power Of the
press. Its capacity to promote good
or evil is well nigh immeasureable
This ought to be recognized by the
press in the face of the proportionate
responsibility which it imposes. The
nature Of every sentence casts SINH
lar shadow upon the mind of the
reader-not shadow that fits away
leaving no trace, but one that remains
farever in its effects. Literature has
much TO do with elevating society and
purifying its principles. National
mind and thought, and moral prac-
tices, are largely moulded by it. The
impressions which it makes = more
delicate, perhaps, than the ripple
marks upon the ocean strand-may
sink down into the strata of character
and become a living record, craven as
with pen of iron and diamond point
in the soul. The dynamic forces OF
nature are absolute nothingness, COM
pared to the dynamics Of the mind.
One master intellect, by tongue or
pen, does more for the real advance
ment of the age than thousand me-
chanical inventions, for as every coin
which passes through the machinery
of mint receives the same stamp
upon its face. so every intellect which
passes under the influence of u mas
ter mind receives the same impress
siOns for good or evil. The most dead
ly things that the world has known
are not the Nimrods or Neros, the
asps of Cleopatra, or the deadly po-
tions of Borgia, but the subtle es-
sences of a false and corrupt litera-
ture. Though genius may jewel the
blade it uses, yet it is as keen, cuts as
deep, and proves as deadly to mental
life as the assassin's dagger to the
physical. The heathenism of litera-
ture may prove more fatal and de-
structive to nations than the iron
tread Of invading Goth and Vandal.
Bandits of the pen prove more fatal
in their robbery of the purity of mind
than bandits of the sword in their
robbery of the purse. Many a page
Of soul-blighting literature has turn
ed into grave reality. The story told
in old mythology of the Gorgon's g
head, the teeth of the dragon have
been sown, from which a host OF
armed fiends has sprung up to curse
the world. The course of such lit.
erature may be traced by the skele-
tons Of blasted virtue, by sad exam.
Piles of abandoned womanhood and
degraded manhood. Its history may
be written, within and without, with
lamentation and woe. 1t lies within
the province of the press not only to
correct this evil, but to provide against
it. The press is too prone, in this age,
to lend its aid to foster a vitiated ap.
petite. This is seen in the publica.
ton of items of murder, arson, seduc.
ton, rape, etc. These I'll ings are pa.
raded before the minds of young
and old and dwelt upon to their
delight, and oftimes ruin. We
feel that it would be infinitely bet.
ter that these things never enter the
columns of our newspapers. They
often beget desire In the minds OF
the young to emulate them. They
remove censure and disgust for crime
by making Its recital familiar. The
story of JACK SHEPPARD has sent
many a man to the highwayman's life
and doom. Such things always stir
the baser passions and bring into play
the british elements of character.
Hence, as the professed guardian OF
public morals, the press should never
lend its power to foster such ruinous
tendencies. Years cannot remove the
effects of the publication of the BEECH.
Err scandal. Such things should never
see the light. Keep them away from
the public. How different would be
the result upon public morals If, i'm.
stead of gathering up and giving pub
licity to such items, the press would
gather up and publish those setting
forth the good that is in humanity
We are sometimes compelled to pub.
lish a paragraph sent to us by tele.
graph which makes us blush, but
these are not of our creation. They
are items emanating from a corrupt
source and which the vitiated taste OF
the public demand. But it is with
pride that we look back over the pages
of this journal, in which we find moth.
ing emanating from this office that
could not with prOpriety be carried
into the most fastidious family circle
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