The morning call., 1893-10-29
~:.CATHOLIC CRITICISM.

-. Rev. George Montgomery. chancellor of
the archdiocese of San Francisco, OBJ
servgd:
,I-thfnk there should be nothing in the
daily papers, either in matter or manner,
which, the father and tie mother Of fam
lily would not be willing to sit down and
talk*8bont before their children. That is
If tte:paper be read by the family.
'0f:cQurse, if there is to be one edition
for pc ople who want dirt and a decent
edition for people WIN o do not want dirt,
whythen the subscribers had better know
whatedition they are buying. Speaking
Of tfiTt, the tendency seems to me to spread
it over as much space as possible, to use
words s*w hicb, If not absolutely improper,
border on the improper.
.-"Then, again, newspaper illusions call
the attention of many people 10 things
which, they might otherwise pass over. II
a.pefSon happens to make a mistake, or
maybe: commit crime, he or she ought to
be."pnhished perhaps, but the innocent
sufpTfeT the guilty sometimes. a whole
fan1iIy=-Slx, perhaps, OF ten IN numbers
s.latifd and Inundated for the sin Of
. one. of ifs members
="Rerhaps." continued Father Montgom-
:. cry: I'm nlPIessively, ''it may be some poor
: :glrF.: H er name is given. her street and
or Bltateve9 she lives in, and if they can
R6tFni0*the home everything about the
: pT6Dlses Is descrl bed, so that there is no
Feasibility. Of anybody's mistaking the
fact ihatone member Of that family has
::gslIe wrong. 1t practically ostracizes
=. j1Ieip ali, drives them from the neighboT-
hood ali d, as If that were not enough, the
uafnT}unste's picture s put into the paper,
WifEr:a description of herself as minute as
tkat:of. her home aud family under the
peal: have generally understood OF max
-TnG crime detesfable and deterring others
:tTGfl3-itt. all OF which believe TO De faise.
81 <'I:dQnot believe the publicity accom-
:#pElshes that purpose. It is an inhuman
thtHg; perfectly inhuman, here in the age,
too, when we are supposed to be very civil
lized and humane.
:: ut is difficult to say if person be asked
just exactly what be would have out and
what he would put into the paper" con.
tfnned Father Montgomery. 1.-The sense
ofpropriety that must control mems ideas
: and peoples ideas in matters of this sort
sh 0Ild be of such character as to make
the >matter put into the columns of the
papers fit subject. as [ have stated be-
fofe,*for fathers and mothers TO discuss
before their children. One reason put for
ward for this minute description of every
.:thinP is that il is a sort of detective power
TO point out the guilty and bring them to
;; punishment, besides filling others with q
hort0F of such things. l am not detec-
tlye,, bat l have often thought that il l
were fleeing from justice the morning
papers, with their almost miraculous
.knGwledge of things faithfully portrayed.
would be a great help to me to skip 10
Canada or elsewhere.
:; ::'Ithink that publicity many times de-
;1eatsthe ends of justice.
.'&NOW, 1t is said that the public want
!: this sort of literature. For one, do not
believe it. There are people who prefer
1T. and the dirtier the sheet is the more
palatabie they find 1t; but think they are
the minority and that it is a big mistake
TO panQer to them.
II am told there is a community some
where-I think in North Carolina-the
people of which eat dirt instead of bread
90 sugar; but the community is very
small, and most Of the people, even in
North Carolina, eat just as other people
do"
. When questioned as TO his opinion of the
best means by which the public could stop
the supply of dirt offered TO them by some
portions of the press. Father Montgomery
replied:
1.-THE public act on the press and the
press on the public: therefore the way to
remedy the evil is for the press to do its
part and publish that which is pure and