The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-06-19
TEMPERANCE DEPARTMENT.
EDITED BY THE woMEN's CHRISTIAN
TEMPERANCE UNION.

Mother, look out for the dime novels.
No poison more inSidiOuS could be intro
duced in your homes. Keep the mind 8
health as carefully protected as you do the
body's, and the State Reform School will
not open its doors to close them for years
upon Que Of your darlings. A mothers
boy in Montreal only fourteen years old,
was recently detected in $500 forgery.
He and two companions were about start
ing for New York, and had thirty dime
novels in their possession. A boy in the
Thaddeus Stevens public school, at Phila-
delphia, when reprimanded by his teacher
recently, drew revolver and threatened to
shoot her. This led to search of the pu-
pills, when seven rev divers were captured
from boys about ten years old. About one
hundred and twenty dime novels were dis
covered to be the property Of the youthful
scapegraces.
Ia small library Iof dime novels was
found in his room. was the sentence added
in explanation Of the waywardness OF a
youth of fourteen. He forged the name
| Of the firm by which he was employed, and
was on the eve of departing to great city,
where he proposed to join the theatrical
profession. Would not parents do well oc-
casionally to look over the libraries OF their
children, or in some way ascertain what
they are readingp. And let every one cast
out the ''dime-nOYelo literature from Their
homes as incurably evil.
| Two boys in Milwaukee, Wis, who were
recently arrested for shooting car-driver
and attempting to steal the cash box, have
confessed that they were addicted to dime
nOvel-reading and drew their inspiration
from this evil source.
1 A "Jesse James Band'' has been dis
covered among the boys in Boston. The
police have arrested two of gang Of six
or eight, who have used one OF th6 school
houses as a resort, the rest escaping after
one of them had fired revolver ineffect-
ually at the officers.
The above items gathered from different
papers by one person in short space OF
time, show to some degree the extent OF
the evil influence of dime-novels, trashy
newspaper stories, unnecessary newspaper
recitals in detail Of crime, and the per-
mitting by the authorities, Our state and
city fathers whose business it is to enforce
the laws, and protect our children from the
contagiOn of vice-the pOrtraying upon the
stage OF the life and death of Jesse James,
making hero of a Clldife--a performance
such as we had in our city year ago.
A criminal under twenty years of age,
confessed before his death, that he was in
cited to the shocking murder for which he
was arraigned, by the detailed account of
a similar murder, which he read in one of
our most respected papers. The comment
that it was adr0itly managed, and that
1t indicated a certain amount of shrewd-
ness in the murderer, seemed to rob the
deed OF it's honor, and to invest it with the
character OF brilliant exploit. After
thinking Of it awhile, the boy decided that
he could arrange an affair even more skill
fully than the older man, which he did
how successfully his poor victim and his
heart broken family we'll knewl
Our loving Saviour knew and met this
weakness OF our nature In the phrase of the
prayer for his disciples, LEAD us not into
temptation ~ What can we say when we
are brought face to face with him, il we
allow these fearful temptations to come to
His little ones, and make no effort to pre-
vent it
There is one party In this country that
is not afraid to pin its heart upon its plat
form, and inscribe thereon, prohibition -
And yet it is party fools have ceased to
st1gmatize as fanatics this is the party Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Its gen.
eral Conference now in session at Philadel-
phia plainly says, Prohibition first, party
afterwards !" That is, Christianity first,
loaveS and fishes later. The 1900, 900
members of this church are not bad
nucleus for hammer against the jug. And
there are many like them. There are more
prayers in ballots than there used to be-
Union Signal.