The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-11
MONDAY. DECEMBER II, 1898.
WOMEN OF CALIFORNIA AROUSED.

A mass meeting of the ladies OF
San Francisco was lately held in
that city to consider the best
means to adopt for checking the
publication of immoral and sensa-
tional details of criminal and other
reports in the city newspapers, in
stead of plain statements of facts.
The result of the meeting was to
order a canvass of the city and
state for an expression of the senti-
ments of the women of California
on this subject. 1t is stated that
over thirty-fve thousand sigma
lures had been obtained in the
State. The Examiner of Novem-
Der 26th, prints the city petition,
which is as follows:
TO THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY
OF SAN FRANCISCO:
We, the women of California, pre-
sent you this petition, which we be-
.ieve represents the convictions of
many times the number of those
whose names are subscribed. We
recognize that the newspaper is indis-
pensable in our homes, and as the
guardians of family purity we make
this appeal.
We approve of our papers in their
energy and enterprise, but we believe
the time has come for them to take a
higher stand on the question of public
morals. We deplore in them "sensa-
tionslism," not the exposure of crime.
We deplore personalities" not the
public announcement of personal acts.
We believe that it is a minority of
your readers who demand sensational,
personal or immoral details, rather
than the clean statement of facts and
truth. There is too often a minute
ness of detail in the reports given of
crime, wickedness and sensuality,
which can crafty only prurient and
vulgar curiosity, or awaken such
curiosity in innocent and ineXperi-
enced minds. We feel that spreading
broadcast vicious and debasing news
in our homes and among our children,
and the consequent knowledge and
easy familiarity with crime in all its
forms, has a tendency to lower the
tone of thought among the best of
our people, and to strengthen the
worst instincts among the morally
lower classes.
We therefore most earnestly and
respectfully petition the press at this
time to make concerted effort to
elevate the moral tone of their col
umns, and to give US newspapers free
from the evils we deplore, feeling con-
fident that the majority of the public
will encourage such an effort, and
promising you our heartfelt CO.
operation and support.
Appended to the above is long
list of names, in small type, cover
ing four pages of the paper, and
said to number seventeen thousand,
or nearly one half of the $4,000
names that had already been OBJ
tanned. That this expression of the
sentiment of the ladies of that city
and state will have some temporary
influence in checking the practice
which has been gaining ground
during the past few years, there
can be little doubt. But it will
only be temporary. The fierce
press rivalry to obtain the most
sensational matter will soon break
out again, and the pages of the of
Tending papers will be as disgusting
as before. The ladies hold in their
own hands the best remedy, and
this is to refuse to admit such
papers into their houses. 1t re-
quires some nerve, to be sure, to
stop a paper which for months or
years has been n welcome daily
visitor, but this will prove a sure
remedy for the evil.
The Argonaut, commenting on
this public prostitution of the press
to the spread of immoral news,
has the following paragraphs, ad-
vising the plan of starting another
paper pledged to decency and mo-
rality.
A mass meeting was held last week
by the ladies who are engaged in the
task of attempting to purify the press
of San Francisco. The Augean stables
which confronted Hercules were as
nothing to the task of cleansing which !
these brave ladies have essayed. |
They have orr earnest sympathy
that goes without saying. All this |
flame was started from a single |
Spartan editorial paragraph printed |
in the Argonaut's "Olla POdrida"
some weeks ago. 1t was at the time |
when the dailies were devoting whole |
pages to sickenipg details of the death |
p-a mutiliation of the unfortunate |
Gilmour. Nobody expects !