New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-04
CRLTIC[SING THE PRESS.
DIR. F. W. RUSSELL BEFORE THE SOCIAL
SCIENCE ASSOCIATION.
NEWSPAPERS ARRA1GNED FOR TOO CLOSE Al

NEWSPAPERS ARRAIGNED FOR TOO CLOSE AT.
TENr1oN TO THE DETAILS OF cRIMES-DR.
CRoTHERs on THE DRINK EVIL.
Saratoga Springs ~ Y. Sept. 3'tSpeciaD.-The
American Social Science Association met today
in the Department of Health, which was opened
with remarks by the chairman, d. II. lioiDrooR
Curtis, Of New-York.
DR.. F. W. Russell, Of winchendon, Mass. read
paper on Mental Health and the Newspapers
of which the follt wing is q part:
The little 2.cent sheet OF our fathers has now cx
pandcd into the tremendous sunday newspsper OF
er's !" ta p1 Whole World Stxs Science cstS
politics. theology, tho sensational story, and tho
realistic detail ID crime stand side by side In hetero
gencOus array.
The Average reader busy with his own engrossins
in cyea a' coan s Ills eye learns to neglect almost
every thing. and only hero and there delays long enough
striking or terrifying crCcts. Tho in!ucnce OF all this
the reader, mind /, very disastrous 10 win ms
thoughtful Iteration Of any subject seems to him
tame. Mar>hang OF facts. pro aud con, aid ddnr-
Hi, mind hurrcs from one subject to another. and his
resulting IDEAS are crude" while his thought. are i1o.y
cNacncs Of expression are wanting. 50 that from his
dS"ry reading cones o., only superficial pc nan nS n,S
ccasc, TO grow and strengthen.
Eut what | wish To especially emphasize now is that
the department Of our newspapers which deals with
the darker side Of hc minute s cTu n o, inc
reports OF suicides. 1t i, doubt true that many
p.on praar, most readers Of hsl hny,r mes n%
'T.rcfnly shnn them in their readings: INT il Is
equally tpe that thcrc Is smother and very nnneT'l,
,i> 10 whom details OF thc. matters arc Of absorbing
interest. Their minds seize upon them With avidty
s or" S only " 70 pa Of fgf se paer and
thonshts turn Only TO vulgar and unfanny nrWs anI
downward
impairment the eict Is OF such reading show them elves
In ,ympathy for criminal, aud then n criminal acton:
Ny attention wa, first particularly called to TINS
subject By the following occurrence. lady patient.
To nd not , . Inn G nr In her Sd
and Mortified expires ion her fatc;. Misirustlns
G % 81 S thu AND
intorrsa all !.my ard only decided S.f a%tiOn
hopeless dp.omahisS had left my care and BY =
strange fatality had met terrible d.ath By stT Ca
nine. This was deliberately reported IN the daiy
papers, and this my patient had CHANGED upon lntene
SUICIDAL npsS ,s tex possession OF nG ana and 10 ano.r
person. friend Of both parties. in few day., rtadns
the G", % G.r nG r, 81 ont int .? sa s very ' ~fy
tnr"ibc to the wr-tchcd energy vi o'r newspapers
which Imrol, them to publish ,ucn items ...,o,
entered my house should BE- thoroughly :clnncd ana s
all notices Of ,u!cide b. removed before they reached
Eyr"rirncc led to extend this censorship TO
murders and great accidents lerr met r,l . nanc
together II was a surprise to what a large pr,.
rortion Of the pace wa, 'hn~ taken up ON" papct
when conscIrn'ou,lv treated often looked Ike s'rvc
Gradually certain paper w"rc eliminated RON ny
G and only t'p" int tr"' from such faults are 10"
To hcgn VIII IL" ,it,pr:, variety Of this general
subject. will mention tho effect produced npon .ch, ~
'c and ncrvo., people by the newspaper rpG;TS ,hS
great ard 'yrlonc~. rhi- ruS b" WITHIN u.c
t.p"rlcnrc Of ns a When o , daily paR bS nr
ra>hcs Of rht's. NE crarh Of 'nrah"r ana ,n ,nf
inrrn,l ar. ar,dy in rarcfnl training Tor crrat
fi.l' when ncNi hla"k and nmiron' rlMid i.,tS
r nn tn, n,rG %c f & AL anl~ty rather than
,rlil't from Thu "xr"s-iy appr,h:n>on TINS , n"n
r"."' III" 10 r'hcar," n" ''p'it' ~ >''r,i' a'i
,'..n hnd p!'~>at-' in their own ir!r' Msi,. 81
m. ,, aiH'iy ,%% a , RI" " cy " b,.' aisn
I'D hy ",ri vim IL peal name a"ir,rh 'n: "n
IT, c "r III, ,nn "i wv nc"nr "i apai} r the I'
Offensive Tie skin hit and moist; Of nn n"rvtn ,s
. rn arrv~ , I the py -r ~inai' Tie
RSs. n"y a II ' eTS that most 81 a
Developed by s@nG q" fI n,c S d -ci IN rc
rT i,c c 'rT ' AZ he We, arc in stat" II terror
A. timc, r>rrctre cve:y moment the gaDi fail to
ir-',G on' ot c>>t"ic" themselves ard all their snr
9o;4cr d'n ,s str "a "nn"sS
,;I,ral lcroun;, Of murders which they publish
We rr,c all >hnah"rrd at offences Of thi' kind
i.Y,.r rommi,;cd rnt"r circumstances o. ncnd,s,
% - = Jack the p:"r m r w., ; VIZ , CO.. NV %"r
\n.:rali,. | hclcy" 70 pc-Nn could read these re-
p,r- without positive l~' Of men al tu;t'. They
y, r. :, hd.,us and degrading that AZ clean r"pnlo
void have gladly >e"D the whole 'ub!ert tatoori ny
l. there 70 remedy The Newspapers themselves
na,,d, /, i, their ln-i,ss to ,4t'er ani publish
u, = Them - .,' n.'mo, c;o4> Ne NAV t;cn turn
n to T. > e.. .,i p' sn -2 fr' IL" VIII rI ' ao
ll,rd rpi :, o"cr a vi-.r,r, gro? Aitic
,,r.a: mp WIN hall "" ar.~ IN; in". %', .rh
rj'r'. whu a"ccr'' Who ~i'ell De -" censor
a. -. Pr -ur'i ,.v. l. general. would b l'r'
co.. A. ,rG rHrr' II n'''rrrar"m; if to- r,.Ypirt"
,I.ir. hw %; M,"rG>e,,s W., drawn with III ,nc
!. .@ mr.; %, ng r i~, o., ~ nni nnmn,d
y i' by, BY t IlTi . %M Ia . nh G,y. %,,y
>rtn wval public ei'nra as a p"'|,nt ,o r"n-
would i; sustain and force i"o prci'ral "rria'.".
law r.,ri.tlns the liberty 'iI. "a" lrch>r "i TIC
Ir o ' Tnst ''t i, PR 'ra 'i The 'H III" W. Adult, lm
rann"t enforce IA" "a" rh.!r rlItii m, d%, nov
Ms ,c"y matter IN the luhh'a,ion 81 rhtiao'naN sHn
om2l"t" detail, Of The rfr'n,,on 9" h',n'rr ~, mf,r
80 prosecution has been b"!aln ara very rr'nAN !
never will b. tr III" public demands all '!'' hi"'
y, The court II -,t appeal then. come to Il" PUB
c h'i npirr thr S"iai t"r o, ,l ,, H.. " ';,
4 II condemn AID reject is la "i pnhhriurl t
m" individuals Mo MAX" the -"dinS lih'' N"h'ir"
II must APPEAL
"Sorial Science Problem in Inrhri"'y was t'e
title Of a paper hv DR.. T. -. troti"rS. ,nper'n-
rrnlcnt If the Walnut l.oi-r Hospital "i llari
ford conn. lie sad that Notwithstanding y? fh |
advances of cNilizalon aud in'rlli+"h'" ami "a !
increasing temperance agitation AMI ci'"f'. ne |
drink evil or inrbri"iN Is mos, thrcliruinG arc !
nnnus 10 all social pr gr"ss amt development |
tI-tiay In l>S0 over looooo persons VIZ" ar |
rested in ,hi, country charged with h'.r. drank |
and ,lisurirrv. Nearly 20 per cent comm tied |
crime of petty character while under the iniIn"nc"
of soirits The great question Of to-day Is not s. /
much l. cure Of ths army. or the clrcking of its
mortality. bnt Of prevention.
II the ANIMAL election this evening TIE following |
,frc,, were chosen FOR l1:O 'pl President. indcw
d. White Of Ithaca. y. Y: first vie" President;
{ arruli D. Wright. Of Washington. d. g.: general
secretary +. b. Sanborn OF Concord Mass, fr'a>ircl
Arson Phelps Stohr-. of NewYork city. Vice r'i
DENT. directors and department officers wc!r aro
elected Paper, prepared by DR.. Mary f. hcrrirk
and dr. = Harucli of New YORK. CITY. and DR. W. Il.
Atkinson OF Philadelphia. were read to night y gen
eral debate followed.