Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-07-13
PfRkiCI0JS LITERATURE.
The Great Evil Which is Undermln-
ing Our Homes and Families.
A. ERNEST Appeal From the Pulpit for the
Suppression OF Immoral Public
Prints and Pictures.

The First Baptist Church was well filled
last evening with listeners eager to hear
what the pastor, Rev. G. NJ. Shott, would
have to say upon the subject Of "Advertis
ing Traps and Pictures" upon which he
was announced to discourse. The tex was
Romans Ill, 1918: Destruction and misery
are in their ways And the way OF peace
have they not known: There is no tear OF
God before their eyes. Il have promised
tonight" sid the reverend gentleman,
that l would speak on advertising traps,
by which the Evil One leads in the path OF
sin and misery the young men and young
women of our land Advertising is one OF
the greatest commercial factors. A shrewi
business man, by judicious expenditure OF
PRINTERS INK
can spread mis- name and the reputation oil
his wares over q continent. But 1t Is SAD 10
think that this great aid to commercial and
industrial ends should be used by men to
seduce and ruin the young. Many WOOD
cuts, good and bad in execution, and not Q
few OF the finest steel engravings, designed
to do evil, are labeled Art, and under this
uretense obtain entrance into our homes
and sit with US in our halls and chambers.
And not only this but vile advertisements
of various kinds and under many DISCUSSES,
food almost every journal upon the globe.
He alluded to the good work performed
by Anthony Comstock, "a man, he said,
"whose name should be known in every
family That gentleman who was gifted
BY God with a right spirit and plenty OF
backbone, b; d recently pulled a leading
house in an Eastern city engaged In this
business, and had found that the Income OF
the proprietors, for one month, 10 De over
THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
This concern had flooded the papers with
advertisements inviting the people to send
4 quarter or bal ia dollar, in return for which
dashy and obscene prints aud pictures were
sent out to poison the minds and RUIN the
bodies and souls of the recipients. lie re
ferred TO his own narrow escaped from tins
p.,fall, when, in his younger years, ne had
uugittingly been led into purchasing OF
these wares, and said he owed his rescue to
8 relative who mad pointed out the dangerous
termination Of the path upon which he had
putable newspapers and magazines, tor they
often admitted into their columns advertise
ments Of the import OF which they were
ignorant, but scattered Throughout the
length ard breadth ofthe land, and reaching
out into every community and village
through their circulation, were a class OF
publications whose owners were III aciTc
partnership with these Detarious adventures.
Indeed, many papers are started Tor the eN'
press purpose OF scattering this sort OF lm'
morality over the land.
Referring TO particular journals, b, said:
The Police Gazette, Police News and Boys
and Girls of New York, were worse that tht
SEVEN PLAQUES OF rHARoAH.
They should be expunged from every en-
Ephteued and civilized community. tie
alluded TO the boys and girls Who went
about the street on no particular business.
and asked if parents ever thought hoS OtteD
they might be found standing in front o:
the newsdealer's window, eagerly s:snnluE
the vile pictures 80 tempungly displayed
therein He drew vivid picture OF the
Young girl, pure-hesrted and sweet, leaving
uer home on an errand for mother. She
passes the window wherein these vale sneets
are exposed, for the first time she lauces
in, and heneeforth she is no longer pure o.
heart. for there has been stamped the
;r,n-;pt of some picture, which
come up in her mind Tor
DAYS and months and years He thought
these three publications did NOR. harm to
the human race in America than all otner
printed matter combined. Some peopI-
would ridicule his remarks and say: What
is a pictureg lie would answer: Much
everything. A man may be unable to slgp
his name or read his Bible out he will TAKE
up cue OF these ilashy publication apc
the pictures at once fix their foul visions
within his soul. The picture never sleeps;
it never closes i,s eye. 1t is always awake;
always vigrl4nt 10 do wrong. 1t often
speaks thoughts, which, if put into cold
,ype, would bring
rr ran sTrNNE