The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1893-09-09
OUR GIRLS.
What Shall We Do With Them
From nc Raltimore snn.

From The Baltimore Sun
The difference between liberty and
license is nowhere more painfully man.
Tested than in the freedom permitted
To American girls. Many parents not
only among the poor, who have some
excuse for their negligence, but among
what may be called the middle class
e., = leave their girls without any di-
rections whatever as to their amuse-
ments. their reading or the way in
which they shall spend their leisure
hours. The girls are given too much
license. Liberty, under broad, general
regulations, would help to make them
self-relient and be Of greater anyan-
tage to them than constant surveil-
lance, but unrestricted license is dam
gerous because they are without the
experience and knowledge of the
world needed for their protection.
The American girl, left without par
entail guidance to 60 where she will,
with whom she will and to stay out
as long as she wants TO, runs very great
risk of getting into bad company and
of having the bloom of maiden mod
esty taken from her, If she does not
suffer worse fate. For, added to the
temptations which such license brings
to her is the corrupting influence of
the literature she is allowed to buy.
The novels, bad as they may be-and
they are distinctly worse now than in
the days of Smollett and Fielding,
though more guarded in their language
are supplemented by Sunday and
other flash newspapers, low in moral
tone and distinctly demoralizing, both
in their scandal and gossip and in the
view of life presented by their society
columns. Every young reader Of such
trash is given false view of real soci-
ETY. and has suggested to her mind false
aims in life. She draws no distinc-
tion between fame and notoriety. 1t
seems to her that there is no distinc-
tion to be gained by having her name
in print, and if she can get her portrait
printed she is intoxicated with de
light.
The news papers that deal with
women and girls of this kind are
shrewdly managed as business con-
Germs, they cater to the vanity of their
readers, play upon their weaknesses
and disregard the harm they may be
doing, Hand-in-hand with the increase
of such debasing literature goes an in
crease of vice among the young, both
male and female. In the flash newspa-
pers they find pointed out to them the
way to gay living, and very often
through these same newspapers they
make acquaintance with dangerous
companions.
1t is clearly the duty of parents to
have more watchful care of their sons
and daughters, to limit their liberty SO
far at least as to protect their morals.
More especially the literature to be
read by the young should be scanned
and passed upon by their elders. The
censorship should not be severe, but it
should at least exclude the novels that
pander to prurient taste and the
flash newspapers that deal in scandal
or are pervaded by low tone of NOR
ality.
There is no better reading for the
young than high-claSs newspaper
which carefully revises its news para
graphs and, as an educator, seeks only
to teach that which will promote pu-
rity, justice and truth. In such a
chronicle of the days events the young
will find information and inspiration
and will come under a daily influence
for good. Many causes operate to de-
velop character; some are transient,
Others are periodically or constantly
at work. The influence Of reading
through the imagination is conceded
to be very great, and consequently the
| literature furnished the young should
be selected. On the character of the
newspapers which the people support
may depend in large degree the moral
tone of the community.