The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-11-01
BAD Literature.

II is matter of grave doubt wheth-
er the publicity gwen to the details
of great and scandalous crimes which
have come to be an essential daily
part of newspaper sensation, are not
working grave and irreparable in
jury on the rising generation especi-
ally. Society has almost generally
prohibited the sale of obscene litera-
ture in book form, because that liter
AZURE has for its purpose, to minister
to the baser passions. inflame the i'm
aglnatiop, and beget crime where 1t
would not otherwise exist. No such
purpose can be alleged against scam
dalous matter in newspapers; pub
fishers estimating it only by its sem
sational merits, but the effect must be
the same, provided the matter is
equally Objectionable. We think the
details in trials for divorce, adultery
and the like, are far worse than OBJ
scene literature which is properly
known as such, because the former is
replete not only with matter appeal
ing to the baser passions, but is also
suggestive of ways and means for ine
duiging in vice. The records Of
courts in adultery, divorce and SINH
lar crimes, would make complete
encyclopedia of crime, not only as
science but also rs an art, and the
youthful student thereof might, after
a sufficient length of time become a
graduate in those mysteries and
weaknesses of the human heart by
which women are led astray. But,
aside from the dangerous character
of this sort of literature as inhaming
the passions Snd informing the
mind of the ways and means
of crime, Its constant repeti-
ton and the eagerness with which it
is read Invariably produces false
views OF society and the relations
which virtue bears to vice. By the
pruaient and officious publication of
stitch matter an impression Is convey
ed, false in fact and mischievous in
belief, that throws doubt on the vir-
tue of man and woman in general
and degrades woman aud man alike
in the mind Of the reader. Criminal
ity seems to BIO the true relation of
.I.os soAes, tuv Uiu nomelike ana
homely virtue of constancy myth,
or a flat, stale thing, general lower
ing Of the standard of taste and the
high opinion of woman ensues and
these false impressions are the very
threshold of crime. Human life to
the young is not matter of judg-
ment, but impression, and the world
they see is the world mirrored on the
street and in the newspapers. 1t is
world ofcrime and falseness. Adultery
is spiciness, Illicit love cuuningness, a
rollicking life free from moral re-
straint the essence of manhood. Take
the two celebrated trials now going
on in this country, the Tabor trial In
Boston and the Walkup trial in Kan
sas City, and nothing in obscene lit
eraturc can be worse. The serious
question is, what good is effected by
the publication in detail of the testi-
mony in these cases made by the
larger papers.
What great public interest is con-
cerned. The revelation of sexual inn
purity is obnoxious 10 decent taste In
itself, and there should be some good
reason for obtruding II on the public,
to atone for the outrage on deceucy
alone. The bare facts themselves are
sufficient to convey any moral there
might be in them, the details eau
effect no good and must be prolific of
harm. 1t is perhaps vain TO appeal to
the public conscience on this subject.
The public will buy papers which
publish such matters, and publishers
will print them because they sell, but
the laws against obscene books are
travesties on Justice, while newspa-
pers freely publish matter far more
obscene.