The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-17
TELL THE II. AND SHAME THE d.

Rev. Joseph MiIburn. in his admirable
sermon Sunday, incidentally referred to
the sensationalsm OF the modern press
as a thing to be deplored. 1t is still an
open question among moralists whether
the publication in the daily papers of scan
dals and crimes has good or bad effect
on the people-or more especially, the
minds of the rising generation. OF course
however, this question only be dis
cussed properly upon the broad considera-
ton of the greatest good to the greatest
number without reference to the special
interests of any class condition. Let
us suppose that by common consent or
through coercive legal enactment like that
of the press censorship Of Russia,
all the papers in Christendom
should hereafter refrain from publishing
crimes, tragedies, disgusting scandals, ETC..
and that ali novelists of the Zola and Toll
stoi class should in the future write strictly
moral stories. Can any one guess the re-
suit?
Let US suppose another similar eventual
ity. Suppose all the buzzards and insect
destroying birds and maggots were suddenly
banished from the world. Suppose the dom
key should lose his relish for the thistle,
the vulture his taste for tainted meat, the
cat her tooth for plump domestic rodents,
anu the SOW n6T lip lue puuSeHl SWlll
Would the world be thus rendered a more
desirable abode for men?
One of the important questions suggested
by this discussion is, Does the publication
of prize fight scandal necessarily
corrupt the reader? 1 think not. One
might say that a good way to avoid being
thus corrupted would be to refrain from
reading such matter and yet tolerate
it for the sake of the good it may do as a
warning or deterrent. For it cannot be de-
MED that the publication of scandals pre-
vents the multiplication of such cases.
Some years ago the secular press" was
odorouS with the details of scandal in
volving the character and reputation of
a hitherto respectable college president
The man was disgraced. lost his position.
both in the college and society, and had to
leave the State in order to make a living
OF course, his innocent family suffered in
tense humiliation, but will anybody deny
that the exposure has acted not only as a
deserved punishment to the offender but
as terror to other college presidents. 1t
seems to me that the true mission of the
press is to present mirror of the worlds
some of the bad along with most
OF the good. Then every man
EXACTLY wSa people NAV e society when bn s6
go wrong. That is not all. They know
quite as well what to expect when they do
TlSnC. IL InGn becomes an open battle be-
tween good and evil, with the chances de-
cidedly in favor of the ultimate prevalence
of the former.
If there is a disease or epidemic in the
city the sanitary authorities Immediately
search it out and placard its locality The
city regulations even impose a fine where
this measure of precaution is neglected. 1t
is clear to all that such publication and
restrictive action absolutely necessary
to check the spread of dangerous con-
gets very angry because the papers an
nounce the presence of smallpox in the city.
put ne doesn't want the papers to expose
the motive of his displeasure
Can anyone doubt the wholesome influ-
ence of the Breckenridge expose? Is it sup
an ambition in the breast of any young man
to initiate the .Jekyll-and-Hyde antics of
sible harm result from the detailed reports
of the Lexow investigation in the daily pa
pers?
Let US for moment consider the popular
book. "Trilby" For one, the writer of this
article regards the work of Du Maurier as
only demora an5 when proclaimed as con
ally Written + is intensely dramatic
forward the character of Trilby as a "modei''
the proper way TO interpret his meaning is
truly a model, but she was none the bet.
ter for that. And If we impulsively parade
her entire career as one worthy to be emu
lated we deserve to be set down as a genera
ton of nncompoops. Du Mauriers idea that
a girl could be something worse than a
sculptor's model until she was seventeen or
eighteen and still be as chaste Gin motive)
as blind kitten IS a thought worthy of a
Boocaccio or a Rabelais. The fact that
Trilby only. discovered her own badness
when the infatuated Little Billee disap-
proved of it is not very much to her credit.
girl of that sort would be likely to be
anything her lover might elect. There are
other features in the book "Trilby'' that
call for judicious discrimination But when
this fact is intelligently conceded the book
may be safely handed over to the public
on its merits as a work of art 1t has no
moral to speak Of
And this, after all, is the kew TO the
correct Interpretation of all so-caIIed SEN
sational literature. First teach the young
how to separate the chaff from the wheat
how to distinguish between that which is
intrinsically chaste and that which is in
herently vile. Then you can send them
forth into the wicked world with impunity
But be careful not to give them a stone for
bread nor teach them that the naked truth
is always necessarily decent.
JOHN C. OCHILTREE.
indianapolis, Feb. Is.
SUFFRAGE IN CANADA.