Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-09
PgRNIcIoUs LITERATURE.

express the wish that the pulpit were more
outspoken on this subject. allow me to re-
ply that you may not be aware how much
is said, as the daily press seldom makes
any report of church services. But agree
with you that more effort should be put
forth by both pulpit and press. Cannot
we have in Sacramento an ordinance pro.
hibiting the circulation in this city of GER
tain of the worst of the fsshy illustrated
papers. as has been done in some Eastern
cities? Apropos of the whole subject. I
take the liberty of offering for publication
the following extract from lecture on
Books and Reading, delivered by me in
Westminster Church on a Sabbath evening
last March, and recently repeated before
the y. NJ. c. a. of this city )
Another class of books which are posi-.
lively bad and must be wholly avoided, is
made up of those which are directly i'm.
moral and vicious. The market is flooded
with these, and the young people of this
and other communities are reading them
to degree of which few persons are
aware. Most of these are works of fiction
in prose, some are books of poetry, some
are stories of real occurrences. But all
agree in describing the crimes and vices
and follies of men and women in such st
tractiye language that a strong temptation
at once stares the reader in the face Many
of the French novels are of this class
books that could not be read aloud in q
mixed company, books that cannot be read
in private without leaving stain upon the
mind. | took occasion once to look at the
alcove of French novels in public library
of San Francisco. found them we'll woru
ana thumbed, showing that they had many
readers, while the works on science.
biography and history were almost as
bright in appearance as when they came
from the binders. Many of the boys and
young men are injured more by books
recounting the adventures of great Grim.
inals, such as the life of Jesse James. or
by hashy weekly illustrstsd papers like
the Police Gazette You will see them read.
ing these things in street cars and on
curbstones, literally devouring them, as if
their life depended on it. What is the
result? Such facts as the following, which
recently occurred, and were reported in
the RECORD. UNION
YOUTHFUL BURGLAR A boy, about Is Years of
age, was arrested yesterday by officer Edred lust
as he preparing to leave the city the Stock.
ton train. He taken to the station house and
charged with burglary. He had several "blOOd
and thunder novels on his person whcl arrested,
and wi,en seen by a RECORDU MON representative 10
his cell yesterday, he was perchel the sill Of the
circuargrated window, eagerly devooring one Of
the volumes.
WINFIELD (ks J. February lst.-Noung Cobb who
shot and mortally wounded Sheriff Sheuneman
some days ago, and who a few DAYS before shot and
killed Constable in Jefferson county, was taken
out of Jail here this morning bv party Of masked
men, and hanged Ia the railroad bridge on the out
skirts Of the town. He stated that he had been led
to the committal uf awless acts by reading the eN
plcits Of Jesse James and other desperate S The
body hung at the bridge most of the day. and hun
dreds Of people wei { out to look at it.
a bookseller of Sacramento gave me the
figures, showing the circulation cf some of
these periodicals in this community, aud
will give them to you that you may real
ize how the young people Of this city are
being depraved. The Police Gazette and
Police Ne,cS are two Of the worst publica.
tions. Their columns OF reading matter
are filed with accounts of crime, and in.
trigue and debauchery. Their hesh.col-
ored pages are covered with pictures of
criminal adventures of men, and the naked
bodies Of women. Their special design
is to inAame lust and passion. Five hun
dred copies of those papers are circulated
every week in this city. Besides these,
are story papers of similar character, only
a grade or half grade above, such as the
NeiC York Weekly, Saturday Night and
FUeSde Companion. OF these papers , 500
copies come TO Sacramento every week.
a paper called the Boys Of Ne,C York,
and series of publications called the
Wideawake Library" circulate here to
the extent of 200 weekly, and are doing
untold damage among the boys of Sacra-
mento. Besides these there are other pub
ications, which are so vile that their trans
mission through the mails is prohibited.
But they are in circulation and are read.
Ii this audience could know The extent
of the influence of bad books and papers
in the United State of America you would
be amazed and shocked. The very springs
of intellectual life are being fouled, and
the future citizens of our country are being
inoculated with poison which by and by
will appear in the annals of social vice and
political crime.
It is very little to say simply that these
bad books and papers should not be read.
They are read, and will be read by thou
sands, who know US not nor care for our
example or advice. We must be aroused
to concerted action on the subject All
honor to Anthony Comssock, of New York,
and his co.workers, who have been fighting
these evils so manfully and so successfully.
All shame upon the publishers of these in
decent books and papers. Just was the
punishment of the intidel, D. NJ. Bennett.
who lectured in Sacramento year or two
ago against Christianity, but neglected to
mention tic fact that he had been impris-
oned in New York for sending vile and
obscene books through the mails to corrupt
the youth of America. All shame to Rob
ert Ingersoll, who signed his name to pc
tition addressed to Congress for the repeal
of the law forbidding obscene publications
to 60 through the mails. Even that blatant
orator, however, became ashamed of his
performance, and afterwsrd went up in a
craven way and had his name removed
from the petition. All honor to those who
have organized to beat down vile literature
and bad books of all grades, by cuItivating
the public taste for good books of all !
kinds. All honor to those publishers who |
are now bringing out valuable works in a
form so cheap that any one may buy. All |
honor to the Chautauqua Literary and Sci |
entitc Circle, who have practically demon. |
strated that it is possible to interest young
people in systematic course of reading |
and study, and are doing as much, per-
haps, as any one voluntary institution in
the land to oounteract the influence of bad !
literature.
We ought all to help these various kinds
of effort by our example and preoept. 1t |
is the especial duty of Christians, and of /
the Church as an organized body, to do
this, Are you fighting on the right side in
this contest
May God help His true soldiers in this |
community to win great and glorious
victory, Yours respectfully,
HENRY H. RICE.
Sacramento, February 3, 1854.
FRANKLIN ITEMS.