Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-19
IMPROPER NEWSPAPERS.

There is nothing which tends so much
at the present time to corrupt the morals
Of the people and direct the attention OF
the rising generation from fields of prof
liable thought and research to the i'm
moral and fash literature of the ''sere
and yellow leaf, as the present tendency
among newspaper publishers to introduce
daily into the family circle the details of
police court proceedings and class of
literature and current events calculated
to contribute to the pleasures of the peo-
pie at the expense Of their morals. Thu
incidents of an immoral career, and the
dark side of life at war with every prin-
ciple essential to a healthy state OF
public and private morals, are as fatal
to tender years and innocence as the
deadly Upas to human life. First i'm
pressions are generally lasting. The
family newspaper is the common text
book of the American people, and from
its columns the youth of the country re-
ceive their first impressions. AS, no
stream can rise above its source, it logic
ally follows that the coming generation
the men and women who are to direct
the future energies of the nation and
shape its moral life-will be opponents
Of the standard of morals reflected by the
family newspaper of the present day.
It is not always possible to eliminate
Objectionable matter from the mass of
news and current events that appear in
the morning newspapers Of the country;
but that there is room for vast improve
ment IN the present manner in which
their contents is presented to the public
is patent to the head Of every family in
the country. The baneful effects result
ing from this immoral and deadly influ-
ence On the family circle and on society
everywhere, has called forth the follow
ing forcible letter from the venerable
Bishop William Henry Elder, of Cincin-
natl:
"As far as I can see, the most fruitful of all
the nurseries Of immortality in our commun-
ity is the pouring cut every morning, all over
our city, and far around into the country, of a
stream of moral poison through daily papers.
Remember that filthy thoughts are injurious
to every soul-your own, as well as your chill
dren. To feed the mind on impure variations
even of facts, without any better reason
than morbid curiosity, is at least
venal !sin, an offence against God
that He will certainly chastise with great
severity. If it ipfames the imagination with
a sinful pleasure, wilfully enjoyed even for a
moment, it is a mortal sin, deserving hell. Be
toen, on your guard for your own souls, and
yigilant for your children, whose lima gInation
is more easily carried away. If
you see that one paper is
more filthy than another, watch
against that one more particularly. If each
good citizen, and especially each father of a
family, would, for himself. manfully discoun-
tenance, in words and in acts, any paper that
shows little sense OF shame and little regard
for public morals, he would do his share
towards correcti' e the evil. The loss of sub
scribers and advertisers might drive them into
more respect for decency. One of the bestreme-
dies for evil reading is cultivatiDg taste for
reading that will elevate and enrich the mind.
Supply your families with papers and books
that will convey useful information and en-
nobling sentiments, and, most of all, with
such reading as will best develop in your souls
the likeness of God, which is the essence OF
human excellence"