The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-07-21

We are quite impatient with the morbidly puri.
tanical spirit that makes such loud complaint OF
publish, in choice rhetoric the occasional laPses
from virtue that will sometimes occur in the best
regulated communities.
pure morals until they have learned the nodus OPP
erdndi of impurity They must be instructed IN all
the details, so that they may know how not to go
and do likewise. Therefore the daily journals
aforesaid deserve praise for enactng the unpleaS-
ant role of resurrectonsts of these bodies of sin
The extreme skilIfuneSs and fearful delicacy with
which these searching interviews are conducted 90
not infer practical knowledge of such matters-oe-
cause to the pure all things are pure They are
merely reluctant exhibitions of the unpleasant
duties sometimes incident to the journalistic pro-
fession On this point, therefore. to the aforesaid
puritanical directors are compelled to remark,
pithily and Frenchily: Honi soft qut NAL g pense-
annapolis Republican.
We cannot forego the expression of surprise
that journal so uniformly consistent in moral
sentiment 1--WE will not say puritanic, for that
term savors somewhat of contempt,) as to be
entitled to be regarded in the light of men
tor, should assume position officially unten-
able Is it the proper function of the press
to act the scavenger and gather all the gar
bage of the world to be served out daily to its
readers, when more wholesome and nutri-
tious pabulum might he substituted? As I'M
wholesome food will produce an unsouud
condition of the body, SO will unwholesome
mental aliment produce depraved condition
of the mind. This sentiment was aptly and
tersely expressed by the poet who said:
"yice is monster of such hideous men,
That to be hated, needs but to be seen,
But seen too oft, familiar with its face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace"
Take boy of tender years and let him read
nothing but stories like those of Jack Shep-
herd and Dick Turpin, and he will grow to
manhood familiar with scenes OF violence, and
will be more likely to participate IN such
scenes. Men are but boys of larger growth.
Fill their minds constantly with recltals OF
social scandals, violence, bloodshed, forg-
ery. arson. murder, and all the crimes of the
calendar, as reported daily in the columns OF
the press, and the moral status cannot but be
affected by it. AS well might one expect to
live in an impure atmosphere and not have
health impaired by it, as to drink IN this
moral poison daily and maintain the DANA
scene purity of his soul. We have seldom
met with more untenable sentiment than
that enunciated above by the annapolis he
oubIican-that 1.-THE rising generation cannot
become fixed in pure morals until they have
learned the modus operandi of impurlty.'
Surely the editor does not put forth sentl
ment of this kind with any strong faith IN Its
acceptance by the public. Trace it out to it,
legitimate or natural effect upon our sons
and daughters and see how deplorable the re
suit must be- Certainly it must be deemed fal
lacious argument to contend that our chill
dren must be instructed in all the ways o
vice before they can become fixed and stead
fast in virtue. That the press has higher
duty to perform than vulture like to be hunt
ingup all the carrion in the world, will not b'
seriously denied. Nor can morally health
full criticism of its course be fairly ascribed t.
puritanism, or to any semblance ofpuritanism
We are satisfied that our respected contem
porary would want to reverse its opinion, on
closer and stricter scrutiny of its immora
tendency.