Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-11-23
LITERARY Poison

Sunday morning Issue OF the st. Louis
Globe Democrat contains an excellent edi
torial on the above subject. The facts
which prompted the article are these
One of the Arkansas train robbers, a
young man IS years OF age, recently died.
He was sentenced for seventy years and
his term was scarcely begun. But j.
broke him down and he died of grief, be-
wailing most bitterly the terrible disgrace
which he bad cast upon his loving moth
er. So far as is known this robbery was
the only crime of his lite. Intelligent,
naturally Of good disposition, and
springing from good family, a promis.
ing career was before him. Why, then,
did he 60 as,ray! The answer IS in the
extract send you and Is as follows:
In the seasons of deliriun which pre-.
coded his death, this young man kept re-
peating portions Of chapters OF trashy
novels, in which acts Of daring, and
knives and revolvers figured freely.
They were not merely occasional utter
ances, but formed a continuous narrative,
which fully occupied his delirious mo
Menls. His mind was possessed of this
miserable stuff 10 the exclusion of every
thing else. 1t certainly does not SAVIOR
OF clap-trap to connect the crime for
which the dead man was convicted with
the influence of the literary poison he
had soaked himself with. 1t is fair IN
ference to conclude that there was an Ia.
Innate relation between the two; that it
was clear case of cause and effect. If
he had been a man of dulled emotional
perceptions, or an habitual criminal, the
force Of the connection would be lost
Uut the single crime fits SO we'll upon the
appropriate preparation that it may just
ly be placed there.
Comment is and ought to be uncalled
for. Such story needs ne one to point
q moral for it. It alone ought to dis.
suade every boy and girl in Austin from
the reading OF low fiction. But 1t will
not; for 1t is natural for one to think
that he is in no danger and that he may
safely indulge in what is so fatal to his
weaker brethren. I cannot dismiss this
topic without Offering u reason why read.
ing of trashy fiction leads to such deeds.
1t may be that young people will heed
the reason and care more for it than for
the mere diction of an editor or myself.
It's conceded by the novel reader him.
self that fiction excludes from his mind
other topics of thought, and exc!tes his
Imagination with those things that are
debasine aud criminal in their nature. 1t
surrounds him with false atmosphere
and leads him to overlook the real and
reflect only on the unreal and the i'm
pure. In fact, he does not reflect; he
pours into his mind continually q mass
of matter which 1t passes over to the I'm.
ag,na,ion without digestion. The novel
furnishes the mental alimert, and on the
ever busy mind must live.
We need not turn to the pages Of our
psychology to learn that mind and body
are Intimately connected, and that the
latter gives expression either by word or
deed to the thoughts of the former. "Out
of the fullness of the heart the mouth
speake,h," says the inspired writer; aud,
had 1t been necessary, he might also have
added that hand and foot are no less
quick and true servants Of the mind than
IS the tongue. 1t IS estabii shed beyond
peradventure that all we say. and all we
do, is the outward expression of the in
ward thought; or, ii you please, the i'm.
sgination carved in v God or stone, or up
on the memories of our fellow men. And
hand and tongue will perform their duty.
No man can occupy his mind with any
continuous liue of thought without giving
it expression at some time. It is impos-
sible 10 so discennect mind and body
that they may labor separately. What
one thinks, he aoiN do; and, if he would
control his actions, let him first control
his mind and purify his thoughts. The
man who never thinks of crime never
commits it; the woman who never mag
ines bad things new does them. The
rule may seem sweeping, but close analy.
sis demonstrates that there are few, ii
any, exceptions, and that it may be relied
upon at all times and in all places.
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