The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-09
GOOD AND BAD LITERATURE.
The Influence They Weld in
Our Homes.
An Excellent Sermon by Rev. DR.. W. G..
Campbell on Sunday-The Press ts
Like Music-It Yields Its Sweetness
and Power rs Readily to tho Vile and
Sensual as to the Pure and virtuous.

The annual sermon on the subject OF
1.-The 1n1uence of Good and Bad Litera
ture" was preached by the pastor In the
First Presbyterian Church last Sunday
morning. The occasion was the anuua,
offering for the cause of public ton.
The text was Isaiah, SSH: $50 shall
my word be that goeth forth out of NV
mouth. 1t shall not return unto ma
void, but 1t shall accomplish that which
l please, and 1t shall prosper in the
thing whereto sent IT."
The pastor said wish to saw some.
thing on this general subject to -dav. To
point out the dangers that threaten and
to show what we ought to do. Three
potent influences are at work to infiu-
ence ana shape conduct, the living
voice. the forco OF example and thoupht
embalmed in printed literature. We
thanx Goo for the art of printing and
writing. This has preserved to us the
noble thought of past ages. II has
made this ours. 1t delights us to con.
verso with the ssges, philosophers and
saints OF other days. We bless God for
the holy Scriptures. The invention OF
printing has made them ours. This has
made 1t possible to scatter them
abroad. 1t has cheapened immeasura-
bly, their price. The art of printing
has become one of Gods richest bless.
ings.
Like almost every other good gift, It
has been perverted to the bases5 pur-
poses. The press is like music. II
yields lis sweetness and power rs read
~ to the vile and sensual and wicked
as 1T does to tho pure, the virtuous and
the sanity. That which will corrupt
con be printed and illustrated. The
whole beauty Of the art can be made to
subserve the viless purposes, and the
hend, printed and illustrated in tho
highest expressions of the art, ia Just as
possible as that Of the Saviour himself.
No one can measure the harm that
may be done by bad literature. This
may BIO in the form Of error, undermine
Ing belief, or in the form Of immodesty
or 1ndecency, undermining morals. a
bad publication Is like bad man or
woman. You guard your daughter from
the influence of evil women. You keep
you son from the association OF gamb-
lers, thieves and drunksrds. Tho asso-
citation of bad book, bad paper, a bad
picture may BIZ worse. These pollute
the imagination. Your child's imapi-
nation isa picture gallery. A bad pic
ture hung in that gallery may corrupt
and perhaps destroy that child. there.
fore stand here to-day to protest in the
name OF our innocent children against
the dissemination and sale of what is
vile and corrupting.
To do this requires constant vigilance.
Such publications are publicly ex-
posed for sale. They are widely adver
tized. They are scattered on the streets
They are thrust under your door while
you sleep. They are put into the hands
of your children as they pass along the
street. Huge bulletin boards are erected
in public places and are covered with
immodest and indecent pictures, to de-
atroy the modesty of our children. Such
literature is sold to mere children, who
soon attempt to put into practice the
conduct of the the debased characters
portrayed in them.
The country is at this time subjected
to an invasion from another direction. 1t
Is proposed now to introduce immodesgy,
not to say indecency, in the name of
art. This is direct attack upon mor-
ais. This and other displays OF pictures,
printed or living, are q degradation of
woman, with vile purpose in view.
They are shocking to every sense of
modesty. These publishers and news
dealers would make our Christian age
less modest than tho daYs of heather
Rome.
On one occ aston there WAS, among tho
vestal virgins, q suicidal mania. The
authorities attempted, for some time in
vain. to stop it. At last they threatened
public exposure Of the person OF the
suicide. 1t was then that their sense OF
womanly modesty came to their rescue.
Now, these gentlemen, for their own
purposes OF gain, propose to break down.
as far as they can contribute to that
end, the modessy OF people. Destroy
man or woman's sense OF modesty,
destroy that OF the children, and what
nexl? lmmodest art representations,
immodest and indecent posters, such as
are often hung in public places, inn
modest books and papers are accom-
plishing this very end, and we calmly
submit to ia.
There are certain magazines, once
pure and clean, thst are now going in
the same direction. They have lowered
their price. and at the same time their
morals. Now don't let such p1agazines
come into your homes. Don't become
annual subscribers. Exami ne the con-
tents at the book stores, and II they con-
tain salacious pictures or articles, let
them stay there The public conscience
Is being aroused on this subject, and
such exhibitions are being made felony.
The law of our city Is ample to free us
from such infamous stuff. Let it be en-
forced, and the atmosphere will be
purer and our children safer.
There Ia another side to this litera-
ture question. IL is brighter; 1t Is
cleaner; 1t is sweeter. There never
was a time when there was more litera-
ture. Never q Tina when 1t WAS hattnr