The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-18
THE DIME NOVEL MANIA.

One Of the chief boasts Of Thu
country is that the American press
is free and that man may write
and publish whatever he plesses
aside from malicious libel This is
glorious thing, but it may some
times be asked If it is an unmIXeG
blessing. When one reflects upon
the evil that is directly and indis>
putsbly traced to the press he can
not help the reflection that perhaps
a little censorship would be an i'm
provement. Government assumes
the duty of suppreesing gambling,
and OF prohibiting or regulating
dram-shops ard other prac-
tees and institutions with
immoral and bad teudencie. g,
solely for the protection Of the peo-
pie; why, also, when the press is
prostituted TO vice and crime, and
an assault madelby it on the morals
of the community, should not the
Government stretch forth its re>
straining and corrective hand? We
do not say this should be done, but
merely ask the question. Perhaps
to in any manner interfere with an
absolutely free press would prove
more injurious than to let it run
riot, trusting to the influence OF the
people to restrain and. keep
in check. In most directions
that influence is alI-poWerfuI, and
the very best corrective that could
be employed, but in the matter of
the dime novel publishing business
it is wholly unequal to the task. The
whole country ID subjected to the
enervating influence of the vile and
corrupting sensational stories that
are spun off so readily by wordy
and highly imaginative authors, and
are SO cheaply run off the printing
press. Not week. passes but the
newspapers contain accounts OF the
criminal exploits of youthful novel
readers whose first ideas Of wong
doing were inspired by perusing
these blood and thunder tales. Only |
few days ago band of young ruff
fans was found in Philadelphia, the |
members of which generally came |
from reputable families. These
lads, from ten to is years of age,
had a place of meeting which they |
called their "Gen" and in which |
they planned their robberies and |
thefts and other crimes after the |
manner of the illains in the novels |
to which they were devoted. They
were armed with knives and pistols,
had their passwords, were
perfectly organized, and bound
by terrible osths with awful
penalties for their violation.
The capture of one Of them in the
act of stealing for the benefit Of the |
order led to the exposure and break.
ing up of the band. But the seeds |
have been sown in their mindR, and |
the soil being proper will take more |
or less root. From sensation in |
their thoughts they naturally run
to sensational conduct, and the vices |
of humanity are their virtues. Their |
minds are diseased, and should the |
moral influences about them sue
coed in leading them to virtu-
Gus, upright lives, they will
yet suffer from the evil |
effects Of reading vicious novels.
How many men and women owe
their non-success or downfall in life
to this cause would be difficult to |
tell, but the percentage among |
youthful criminals is said to be
aIarmingly great. And the evil is
growing daily, as shown by the In
creasing number OF the corrupting
publications, and consequently the |
Of