Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-07-16
Publishing and Reading lmmOralities.

1t Is the habit OF the great newspapers
of the world. to set afloat news in all its
gra,lations, from the top to the bottom of
human nature. Society obliges men to
wear clothes; newspapers do not allow
them to wear a rag. No man Can walk
the streets irflecently ;but that part Of con
duct which is indecent newspapers are
permitted TO send down through all the
streets and highways and byways of the
whole land.
Newspapers are noble channels of learn
ing; they carry intelligence and thous-
and inspirations to virtue and TO patriot
ism; they are invaluable; nevertheless,
they have their common sewer at the bot
tom, and out of that comes the mephitic
gas that invades our dwellings. Day by
day the representation of that side of man
which if lowest and most animal goes on
with continuity and minuteness that is
most repugnaut to Christian morality, to
honor and to delcacy. When a word of
this kind is uttered. the reply constantly
is, " Such news is marketable. We pub
lish paper, not for preaching; we are
not schoolmasters, nor ministers; we are
vendors; we publish paper to sell. We
of course would not indulge in that which
was absolutely criminal for the sake of
selling our papers; but who shall mark
out to US that which is and that which is
not criminal? What the people want, and
will have, we undertake to supply to them.
Our rivals will do it if we do not"
| Many. say: :" We ourselves do not
relish doing it; we wish there was pub.
lie sentiment that prevented its being done
but as things are, we are obliged to do ii
if we would maintain our POSITION And
there is great deal Of reason in that
there is no excuse in it; but it does open
a clearer idea of the pressure which is
brought to bear on newspapers in thai
direction; and, after all, it rolls on you
the readers-the burden. If you wuul(
not read such things they would not have
to print them. They expose this carrior
in market because you are the purchaser
of it. You do like it.
Ofcourso there are persons that stant
high that will not have anything to de
with it. Then there are persons tha
stand low, and would not have anythin:
to do with paper that WAS without it
The great intermediate class, that do no
approve of this or that paper, and do mo-
take it, buy it now and then just to Sc
what it has to say! so 1t has the market
There is morbid curiosity to know
who has been shot to-day; what hldeou
; seduction has been disclosed to-day; Wh'
foullng Of hitherto noble name ha
taken place to day who is at the whlppln
post to-day; who hangs dangling on tn
gallows to-day; and all those items o
news that appeal to the anlmal below IN
ears, or to the bottom OF the brain-th
; animal part OF the brain, that ls-are ser
abroad every day, and come INTO on
houses, and are read by our children, b
. our servants, and even by ourselves
!. do hate such things would soone
SIT down to mud banquet than SIT dow
! and read oil calas'rophes. III wer
: : obliged to do 1t, could take man lie
! of; If it were needful, 1 could look
: blood, though II 1t were not need1ul
u should faint at the sight OF 1t; II 1t wei
! : necessary to save man me- could u
' the lancet; but hate and aohor 1t; ana
< sit down to this as repast, as an inspire
= ton of the day-lt is cannibalism such
. : actual historical cannibalism never equa
!, ed; for cannlbals eat men before they al