The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-16

| who are applauded to the echo on the lecture
| platforms, and for the "Gipsy Boys Ven.
geance" and the midnight Elopement" and
the PIRATES Defiance" which get into the
hands of our boys and girls.
Again, these fash papers whose name to-day
is legion, may be traced back TO one or two
more decent progenitors which have had great
influence in shaping the tastes OF our youth.
In my opinion, the sinner above all others in
this direction has been the New York Ledger,
and for the paradoxical reason that it has been
as good as it has been. Why. do not
Henry Ward Beecher and John Hall and
Theodore Cuyler write for this paper? Does it
not contain many valuable artclos, the record
of many scientific discoveries? Are not many
of its contributions of high order of literary
merit? Yes, admit all this, and for this very
reason it has done so much harm. It's very
exeellencies have CLOSED over defects and
concealed from the eyes OF parents and teachers
the fact that its tendency was in the direction
of trashy sensationaism In ten thousand cases
it mas created an appetite which it could not
satisfy, morbid craving which its brethren OF
lower degree and coarser, more unblushing
sansuousness, have satisfied. 1t would not &C
knowledge these papers as brethren or as kin
dred in even a remote degree, perhaps, but
nevertheless during all these years 1t has been
making readers for them.
1 once heard Henry Ward Beecher describe
how Mr.. Bonner conducted his paper. Said
Mr. Bonner to him, 81 tell all my assistants on
ehO 1ousoh W iH"sA"o go - ~ "
Israel just home from the church prayer
meeting. She has eleven children, sons and
daughters, some at home and SOME abroad, for
wnom sne IS anxious ohe sits oeiore the open
hre, with her spectacies pushed upon ner ,2re-
mead; she lakes up copy Oh cne L-qgel. Now
admit nothing to its columns whlch Wonld
offend that good old mothers taste, or which
sue wouiu no. reau W nol suns auu
now admiraole. We are .euip.eu ~ s-y aa
nrst. ~" pure anu eiosa'ou 'uus' suoh
paper De! -
bue stop moment - suon s goou, @ oiu isuy'
even tnougn sne 10 Juss iohie iI9in P.Syon- .
meeoing, WIN ner specsacios pusuou up ri " nGi
Ioreneau, - sue .ne oess JuuSe ol wnAs suoulu ~
cohse.sIse popuia pSpe55 ps5 ,hs,ao '''
suoscrioels 3 oy @ sne nululeu s e',oao -, aoa,hi,
PIE Is uouotiess jugs VI sootuins syru ps
ana teetnlng fofaias, oae, esen % .houge 81 sue sne
nsS ,sn ~ 49,
VIII VII ln,nsIl1 eNI % '"0 i''i"s s0"e0 'o-'
At apv rate the paper over which the wrath
of this good old lady has presided, has ad-
mtted columns and columns of trash which,
however unobiectionable morally, have led the
wav To other trash. a orada lower in its nature.
and that to other reading with faint of i'm
nnritv about IL. and that to what is wholly
vile It NAV be- a long step from the New
York Ledger to the Police Gazette. but it is a
step which is very often taken.
II tbe sea breaks In and oyervhelms our
our children. we do not care whether it breaks
i'm throngh a dirty creyice or pours through a
silver tunnel In some way an ocean of taw-
dry literature has flooded our homes. Through
this and other such tunnels it has come.
Rnt it is of more concern and interest to us
to enquire what is the tendency, than what is
the cause of this evil And this branch OF our
subject is not involved in so much obscurity bv
any means as the first enquiry.
The tendency of this literature is evil and
Would YOU see to what it leads? Take ND
almost any daily paper and YOU will find out
Bows ten wears old are committing burglary
eyery day:-hardIv a week goes by but what
they set some building on fro Gust to see the
blaze;p every little while we read of the arrest
of some of these blood-thirssy youp pgsters
while on their way West to fight the Indians.
The tendency of this evil literature is forced
upon us bv every public print. he awful re-
snlts stare us in the face every day. tJ
:, ~, NJ vo.L Ev.n
oage p = ieoen. ioSeo VI Sno r1w ,,.h;,.l ~.
Jug Ivs., quoting ironi paIPniee wuleh sWi,, us'
;ce1u'ly appoe,ou o suiS y,9S 80 ,tis e1as
70 slo lu o' eP.saos ~ 10 appnou W - sis Ga.
u y ssaet t;., &C.. ,u1,ioSn,,, ,, &C.,
eoous, a1sy ssins, 1., ~ no.o', ), H. hia.
nAeurai fnenoss, unoloannos', ., A.hs ths
S, WIN o'h, snigsellng sngsestslons ~ arc 'no s
nowers oi cfitlrls Will ay 20 on
oso,y psso. ounseu:onei =,
aouatefy, are sns suolsc.s Oh large par a %
tuese hosois' no sio.s ooJeos "a sue;e -
oooAs - " 'oaou lS ~ -
III an interesting auu seuuc'lvo ii loim anu ~
making sooo peopie wiio 1--WE sooo.u,s se,,d VA
Ordinary iaMs ol uecencf sppoai 'alio' s'upiu
an1 uespicauie
wow, M,nu yoo, enoso wotus ,u. aao eponon a nos
OF tnis outla"eu class oi nsorayul1 oouosrnlng g
Wnlch am speaking, anu which ny uecens
puolic library would toucn WIN par oi
longs, out ABOUT nunurous u So-caiiou ,ospov.-
aoie movers Wn.cn nave 9eon auiA'.'eu ~ ~ sne
boston puollc norar anu WILL a.o ua.iy III A.
cuiated tuereiron. u tues9 auIoc.lsos Lnay "
justly nsapeu upon sucn DooAs WHICH nave
passed tne inspecton q .ne ,'alla ~ 'no
ness appoinseu iolary ~ our lauu, "" oan NO
nnu Worus iorclpie enough 70 oApross s out az
norreuce ior sho worSuiess no.on wI'ou suo
sell-appoiheeu panIores sn ~ ias; ,;,5 .na rae
pisee ~ ~ ~
one eAcuse wnicn 1lo sua.ulah' sI =, ,ate
oi.en urge iol psesehsns moan anu 80 thar,
W .neil - .uao u a
can appreciate 1otnlng oetter' ina ~ ~ w1ia .p
tor sleui W reau . -, rS;s .har ;il ~ ad
nisnes' oiass anu snas ~ s' ..ay h; =;
uca.eu to recelso 'ouosns 49, 60
terrioiy dangerous eAperlen. :le ne 'u~. & ioeu' s
on opiun & uo1s nos a. Ua ho dr;rts i;@ht
seoah ~ on sucu q ulTs iaaa for aoIS
wines ooss hot tneleuy sr
waser. ne nisy Muos ai' Sas ot 49,, 80
Tor the simple ana pure ...sh !, n;na
uoso mHo oeysm ie i;s as.i;,s,, +rssb Thao
oesos ote y: 'oa . elss ilo 10 e., ss s..a,'s
never acquire taste lor wna9 Is purer' ss,ons
OF, nooler. An 1Aoop.ioy .t.s.I..nsso.
so may occasionaiy esoapo liolu Suo ua9
Vi sue 'rasuy nossi u;on t; ""S ~ !, 80
whSt Is worm reauns ~ .lle, puS !. 70 IN sp..o
OF MS carry reaoing' noS ~ cDnseqao 20 VI i''
ueneraiiy, nowever, .nT ooaiso loaIs W soo-
sning coarser' tne 1l'iuly WIG W " .no ouslSse
ously vlie tne gen.ie .no
dins mover ,eauer W .no nauisu1r s t
oil tne ola dime mover toper' 'erS hl iem wuo snp
once get Witnln ene an.onpo ~ InS pS;isii asn
ever escape oays nooe5' nuuoil u st,',.
pnla: am convinceu ena. hos rioro siian
nse per ceuc, " nio s~ss s,,,auiha.. 81.
gaged IN tne Duilulng
the lew papers WHICH aio puo.iSMneu M ~
~ tnen lnterese. Ou sno v'nel lN nanu ooaovo
tnat neariy 30 per cehs. VI sne sanlo lass alo
patrons OF dime novels auu papefs "aA.ns NJ
ton speciaity. IL is numliiating IA ene pa
treme that so lew snouiu paerohiAo snas "niou
lnstructs ana educates.
hememper TINS Is spoken no. VI pearu9ss .h
poys and giggnng girls, IL Is spoAen ot nuo
norhy-nahoea sons Oh toiI W wnun o!r polisi,
CLANS are SO Iono Oh a.luuing. Whas - true Vi
builders is true Oh otner artisans ana iaoorers.
10 per cent. OF tnose VINO oegln on uilie nofeis
never get beyond dime novels.
Will not dwell upon tne te5ueney snsse
periodicals have OF giving stralne9 ana unhstr
urai pictures OF Ire 10 our ooys auu siris, Auu
VIII not weary you Wy uesotio.nS .h INV y vhoy
giorliy evh vi no" 'ney 'aNo 'no p'"oo - """'
Is petter. .,,s
All tnese olreiul eVlls are V,viuiy lisI.aeou
In <.Ja frnA fll n