Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1883-05-10
From the AierdndriG Gazette.
Homicide u, the South.


We are not aBlo to decide The question
whether there are more homicides and fewer
pun;shments of them in the South, as the
Nation contends, or just as many of the
former, in proportion to the population
and no more ofthe latter,-in the North and
West. as some Of the Southern papers main
tain. The answer You're another" IS q
very poor reply to any charge. If man
SAYS to me, "Your facet is black the thing
for me to do is not to say so is youEs," but
to look in the glass, see if it is black, and
then 20 wash it. Now We maintain that
Christian sentiment, Christian principal,
and Christian conduct ought to influence
public sentiment, public practice, and pub
lie law, in this and all other matters which
are of moral nature, and which, therefore
touch the law of God; else how are Chris
tians to be the light Of the world and the
salt of the earth? There is one poten,
influence at work indirectly, and doubtless
unwittingly to keep up the tendency to
homicide and to all daring and desperate
deeds. and that is the influence Of the pub
lie press. We took up a Virginia daily
paper the other day, and Of eleven Brief
News Items" six were murder and robbery,
gathered from Texas, Ohio, Indians, Penn
sylvania, and South Carolina OF the para
graphs. there were three executions and
two murders: and this was not an cxcep-
tional case. The collector Of items and
paragraphs seems to ransack the whole
country for the most atrocious things he
can find; and vet the world is before him,
with its science, its sr., its Improvements,
its discoveries. its social and political
changes, whilst he regales his readers with
murders, robberies, burnings, rapes execu-
tions. &c. Ofcourse, he thinks he is feed
ing them according TO their taste, and some
of them, he is; but great many recoil
from such food with horror and disgust. Oi
course, too, the press is way OF making
living, and the publisher, like other men,
must consult, TO some extent, the wants and
wishes of his customers. But the press is an
educator, and ought not to pander to
depraved appetite, and increase it by feeding
it with the poisonous food it Graves, but
rather star7e it out and destroy it by de-
priving it of aliment; and in doing this i
runs no risk Of suffering any serious loss OF
patronage. The same day we took up the
Virginia paper above referred to, we received
Northern secular paper of twice the size
and published in a city Of more than ter
times the population of Richmond, Hnc
there were only one or two cases Of murde
or robbery mentioned in it.
"Vice is a monster Of such frightful mien
As TO be hated, needs but to be seen;
But seen too oft familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace,
And there is no question that the constan
presentation of murders, homicides, anC
other ::atrocious things, produces in SOM
minds tendancy to these things, and, /
not a tendency to them, certainly anindifier
ence to them. Butyou need not read them
skip them, and read something else. Tha
is Tie plea Of the dram, seller, Of the keeper
Of faro-bank, or Of brothel-you neec
not drink, or play, or come here, unless yoI
wish; you are a free agent, and responsible
for your own conduct. True and yor
are responsible for the influence you exer
on your brother, and the temptations yor
put in lis way, in order to ell your OWL
pocket.