The morning call., 1893-11-13
THE HAPPY MEDIUM.
Editors Should Use Discernment in
Publishing Details of Crime.

Rev. t. FL. Woodward. pastor of the
First Methodist Episcopal Church. took
for his text Keep Thyself Pure" I Tim
v:22. The speaker first praised the petit
ton presented by the ladies to the public
press. He said: Certainly no news
paper will take any exceptions to it. They
may not comply with the wishes of the
ladies, but the petition is SO discriminating
that there can be no fault found with it,
either in its wording or the object it would
attain. There are no unreasonable de-
mands, no undue suggestions nor threats
in it, | believe that opposition to petit
tons is as often provoked by exaggerated
statements and bungling expressions as
from the subject matter OF the petition.
"The newspapers are not, so far as /
know. opposing this effort to secure
greater purity. There seems to be will
ingness to improve and an acknowledge
ment either expressed or implied that i'm
prOvement in the moral tone of the press
is possible. The ladies recognize first
that the newspaper is indispensable to the
home and themselves as guardians of
family purity. They do not stand over
the doorway with battle-ax to strike down
the newscarrier who would invade their
homes with impure literature.
"They do not use lncendiary language
ana threaten to burn every newspaper not
coming up to their standard of purity.
They DO not gather in companies and at
tack the newspaper offices with physical
force. They say. Gentlemen your news
papers are indispensable to US. We need
them. but their moral tone Is too low for
our children aud too demoraliZing for our
center-tables. We want you TO improve.
Ii you do not we will carefully discrim-
nate between the better and the bad and
throw the bad away and use the scissors
freely on the better.
They do not seem to think there Is a
best newspaper but that all can be and
ought to be purer. These women evidently
are, as they say, the guardians of family
purity, and certainly it is for them to de-
termine whether certain papers and books
are pure enough to come into their homes.
They make a distinc tion between 'sensa-
tiOnalism and the exposure of crime'-a
wise distinction. These miserable, un-
scrupulOus fellows, who grow fat by en-
sharing the innocent, who live off the
ignorant aud unfortunate, ought to be
exposed and their revolving crimes
held up to public ceGsure. Public
opinion is largely created and reforms
inaugurated by the revelations of the
press. While we deplOre the publication
of crimes we deplore still more that low
condition of morals which makes these
crimes comparatively easy. a certain
amount of exposure. even to some details.
seems necessary to arouse the public con-
science and create horror in the minds of
the youth for crimes. There is, however,
q happy mean between extremes. Tha [
paper is too vile for the home upon which
the mother must first use the scissors be-
fore it goes to the boys and girls. That
paper is not fit for man or woman which
exposes the shocking and shameful details
of crime TO Increase its circulation among
the low and lustful, and right motive will
usually guide the editor along the happy
mean between extremes. We believe th at
newspapers have policies and morals and
their editors consciences. and this appeal
by these elect ladies of influence and posi-
ton will have wholesome effect upon
our great dailies. The speaker then re-
ferred to an editorial in THE MORNING
CALL in favor of purity of the press, and
deprecating the sensational publications
of the day