The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-04-28
Is the World Growing Worse?

This question is asked daily by hundreds
who read the Journals of the day, and their
daily record of crimes, and the reply inva-
riably is Judging from the large number
of murders, suicides, robberies, ETC.,
YES. We do not think so. Let us exam
inc the facts. Where is it that the tele-
oraph does not reach And the telegraph
now reports everything that occurs. Within
few years past very little telegraphic news
was published. Now, in the morning jour
nails. We find dispatches from the four
quarters of the globe. More is paid for
such service now by the average paper in
one day, than was paid quarter of cen
fury ago in year. The active, vigilant re-
porters sleep not, fguratively speaking, but
toll on gathering the incidents of each day
little by little, until they assume immense
proportions when we scan them in the daily
press. Are not our religious and charita-
bic associations growing each day? DO
they accomplish any good Yes. But the
average reader pays little attention to their
work. He reads sparingly Of such tele-
graphic or communicated news, but devours
with avidity every detail Of the reports of
arsons. murders and other crimes.
\ few years ago column or two con-
tanned all the news, 1000 or 5000 words
were considered extraordinary for the AS
ISOLATED Press dispatches; now, in England
alone 934, l54 words are daily furnished to
the press. 1t is well known that American
Journals use the telegraph more freely than
those of any other country, and If mil
lion words is considered of such vast pro-
portions in England. what should be thought
of more than double that amount being
daily used in this country? As an evil
dence of the enterprise of American jour
nalism we cite the following: On the
night of April 8, while portion of West
minister was burning, there came dispatch
saying, ''Send Associated Press six hun
dred lines" This was furnished, and by
it telegraphed all over the country. Is 1t
;nv wonder then. that all the bad acts Of the
world are laid before the public each day,
when nearly every village has correspon-
dent for Il metropolitan journal.
\ few weeks ago religious body as
sembled in this city, special telegraphic re-
ports were furnished several Of the evening
journals, and full reports by mail to the
morning papers each day. How much of
it was read by those who frequently ask
the question at the head of this acticle?
Sunday school conventions, temperance
conferences, and the doings Of other moral
and religious bodies are as accurately re-
ported, but the average reader skips that
portion of the days doingS and hunts for
something more exciting. If not able to
crafty his desire he losses the paper aside
and declares there is nothing in it.
Before denouncing the press for pander-
ing to a Initiated taste, read each dispatch
carefully and you'll find, one day with
another, that as much space is devoted to
the moral as to the wicked part Of our
population, and that the supposed degen-
eracy in society springs more from the
startling record of crimes which strikes our
attention more forcibly than the narratives
Of the events in the moral and religious
world