The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-09

TIE DINE novel OF ten or nIteen
years ago was neither very good nor
very bad; It was net particularly cor
ruptiDg nor specially bene6tting to
the youthful mind. So also with the
melo-drsmas formerly go common.
They were not calculated to elevate
the tone or improve the morals OF
ttose who witnessed them, nor did
they necessarily haYs bad effect
upon miniature minds. 4 sense OF
right generally pervaded the novels
and dramas. Ths hero had a pen
chant Tor riskiug his life on all sorts
|. Of trivial occasions; and could noi be
restrained when q pure woman was
to be rescued iIom her vile associates.
Virtue YES usually triumphant, and
ordinarily Williams go. their deserts.
Much OF this has been changed
during late years. There are few
redeeming traits il NEST OF the cheap
stories circulated so generally among
the youth Of the country. The boy
literature OF to day Knows little OF
the high-fown heroism of the old ten
cent novels; the place being usurped
by coarse brutality, and what was
formerly acuteness is nov but trick
cry. Tbs olden heroes may have
been worthless and impracticable
fellows, but these Of the present are
vicious and reYengeiul. The effort Of
the modern writers Of cheap fiction
seems to be 10 elevate everything evil
at the expense of all that is good.
Another bad characteristic OF the
later story literature for the young
is the slaugy Style Of the
competition. Some of it is
equal in vulgs:ity to the ordinary
thieyes' jargoD, and Is as quickly
caught up and adopted by youthful
readers. We do not refer to the ab-
solutely o55cene hteratlre that finds
lis poisonous way into so large q por-
ton OF society, but to the periodicals
and novels claiming to be respectable
and moral in tone, the boys and girls
papers, and the cheap sensational fc-
ton 60 much sought for AID so
eagerly de7ouTed by young men and
young women. This literature does
not come under the ban Of the law,
and the societies for the suppression
Of yica may MT interfere with its cir
cuIsiioD, as obscene matter, but
it nevertheless exercises a hurt
full and immoral influence. If
parents doubt this, let them
note the conversation and conduct oil
their children who are given TO the
| peru.aI of this ezecrable, slangy
trash. We believe that one OF the
chief causes OF hoodlumism, which is
a comparatively modern disease or
evil, Is this vile truck, SO generally
circulated because Of It's cheapnese
and its Sensational character aud
! tone. is difficult for the parent
aud teacher TO keep tie minds OF
boys and girls under their care in a
/ healthy condition SO long as they
have free access to this pernicious
literature. I! ia couulsTac.ing the
influence Of good associations and
noble aims. and spreading its poison
Gus effect into soil that Otherwise
might and would brig forth good
fruit. It Is useless to protest against
the publication and sale Of the
soul-dest-oying stuff. Il one
/ publisher she'll refuse to pint it
another viii not; and a neBsjealer
Is vain to suppose that ne can prevent
its distribution by keeping it of his
stand, There will be these who will
print and those who will sell SO long
as theie are buyers. The latter are
the ones who should be labored with,
watched over. and protected. It is q
duty that parents owe 10 themselves,
lo the future Of their children, ard TO
society at large, to carefully scrutinize
what their youthiul ofspriugs are
reading. a failure 70 perform this
duty Is permitting many youth to
DRIFT into crime and destruction, and
allowing seeds of evil to be sogn,
from which a iTightful harvest Elust
some day be reaped.