The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-02-15
''PerniciOuS Literature"

4 -
SOUTHERN UTAH, Feb. Is, 'S4.
Editors Herald:
In an eminent lecturers essay on
the above, I find these data:
1st-Th1s class of literature is q
moral leprosy.
2d-Five trashy novels are circu.
lated to one book instructive and
moral.
3d-One hundred and sixty.fiye
establishments for the printing of
such trash were In existence a short
time ago.
4th-Six hundred arrests were
made for the publication of such
literature.
9Th Convictions were made
amounting to $50 years
6th-Three thousand volumes
were taken from the shelves of a
single store and condemned.
7lh-Frcm the books of this firm
$4,000 addresses for such b.oks
were obtained.
l heartily coincide with the
speaker that the nickel novel is Of
the worst description, being within
the reach of the smallest readers.
The dime novel paints the Grim
inals as the heroes of the day, thus
increasing youthful deprayity at an
alarming rate.
A have heard at some improve
ment associations songs of such
questionable character, low Dutch
nonsense. sung by man of 60yeara.
that elected round of applans.,
but l faile1 to see the elevating.
/ was clnversing with q book
peddler, who stayed with me ove..
night and our discourse was on the
majority Of bo9ks he sold. He re.
marked that the sensational, dare
devil Dick and Buffalo Bill stripe
found ready buyers, to l, and % a
clincher he spoke Of q man who
jswapped Holy Book for copy of
"Border Life" From such reading
boys to-day are Jesse Jamesing and
riding the range in search Of NAV.
ericks and a 6-shooter and brand
ing iron are Indispensable. The
United States wisely stepped in to
save the mail department from
teing made the "seWer" to convey
this "moral leprosy." Why cannot
| we discountenance this class If ill.,
Illustrated papers that to see them,
leaves US hardly pure again? Why
csnnst W. khun the very border r
land of Ob.curity In all our pro-
gramme, !? Why give recogn t on
| thereto? q ai- 2 l-
| Napoleor I think it was who said
the songs OF a people indicate't their
! prociivities, and who that remem.
bered the drama OF Jack Sheppard
but has recollection of its vicious
tendencies pIf rough on rats Is
poison US ana the rat does not die in
the house neither in nine cases out
of ten do those poisoned by the trash
of the age die in the h,use. HrBce
the preecriptiOnist of any association
nould be careful Of the compound.
he sets before his patients.
How far the astounding facts and
figures of the lecturer, MIR.
Spreechel, Of California, will apply
IN this Territory, am not prepared
to say, but to- vast an amount of
demon lZation in the literature,
trashy and vile, has found its way
and resting plac9 here. The dis
gushing details Of murders. licen-
tiousness, burglaries, defalcations
and alleged detective stores are in
many instances the cream of some
newspapers, melting to copy and to
be more cautious to cover up the
tracks.
OF such a character Is the sheet
in this city. II it can find any car
rion snywhere in all Mormondom,
what a relish No need of any Wor-
cestershire sauce to give it palate.
The mil e. and the sweep will each
be smuJged if they come in contact.
So the first, If he would be clean
himself, and the preparations of the
food of man, he must not permit
the approach Of anything tendipg to
demeral ze the fame of his mill, he
must gri d out the best. The
sWe p, VII lie necessarily following
his .ooty occup ,tion, mu.t change
his clothes, his voice and his man
ners wheu he comes to the mill
where the gojs are grinding. Wis
dom il justified in her children, not
alone in our eating an ! drinking,
hut also in avoiding tho rankest Of
eli poisons, a nickel novel l favor
|a clesn. healthV neVSD0per apV.