The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1892-10-20

to find it earnest, dignifed and catholic.
The first thing we see is half column
of sensational headings, addressed per-
haps, to the prurient curiosity of the
basest men. We open paper, and find
over an item of intelligence, or of false
hood, concerning grieviOus scandal
the word "HELL!" in as large letters
as can be squeezed into column. This
followed by minor heads, every one of
which is interested to produce sensa-
ton. We go on through the paper, and
it is all sensation. Oftentimes the head
ings mislead as to the real character of
the intelligence to which they are to
preface. All the news chronicled is
wrought up into the most startling
forms. TO pique curiosity, to raise feel
ing, to attract attention, to appeal to
the sense of the marvellous, to be stun
ming rather than simple and true, are
the apparent motives of the conductor
Is this an extreme case? We can
furnish papers by the hundred that
steadily persue this course as matter
of policy. 1t is not enough that we
have party presses in religion and poll
tics that give party shape to every
thing that comes to them. 1t is not
enough that we have presses that rejoice
in scandal and crime, and take greater
delight in them, and greater pains with
their details, than are excited by those
affairs which mark the advance of the
world in goodness and wisdom. 1t is
not enough that there are papers which
mold all things that they touch to the
personal purposes and prejudices of
their conductors. If a thing is tame it
must be whipped into a startling ap-
pearance. If it is d-inexpressibly
sad from it's badness-its badness must
yield to requisite sensation. Great and
good names are TESTED with. Topics
which involve the most precious inter-
eStS OF the human race are tossed flip
PANTY about, like the balls of a juggler,
to attract the eyes of the gaping multi
tude. Subjects of which children can
never know too little are laid before the
family eye as familiarly as if they were
not stepped in shame. To receive the
worlds news, in the spirit and shape in
which it is presented to millions of
readers every day, is to suppose that all
the worlds mOmentOus events are con-
ceived in fever and brought forth in
Mysteries.
Shall we mention another sin? Have
we to-day, any such thing in America
as private life? Is private man, or
even mans family, safe from public
mention? Alas! that the press has an
apology for its familiar handling of
private names and private affairs!
Alas! that there are so many in private
life who rejoice in the public airing of
their personalities and their personal
movements! Alas! that the details of
private life are devoured so greedily by
SO many who do not seem to know that
the love of nOtOriety is vulgar, and that
their desire to pry into the life of others
compromises their dignity and their
neighbOrly goodwill! After all, is it
a dignified business for the press to
minister to this low and unhealthy
greed? Is the world so barren of great
topics that the press, peaJorce, must
transform itself into a neighborhOod
tattler and public gossip? Are valu-
able opinions and valuable intelligence
so scarce that it must send it's prying
interviewers out among the ranks of
private men, to worm out their secrets,
on pains of misrepresentation and
abuse, and spread them before curious
public? The American press of the
future will not do it, unless civilization
shall retrOgrade, and our nation remain
a nation of children.
The Curse Of Idleness.
NJinicfor. Now think oorof,,11v onI