St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-31
TURN LIGHT ON TO CRIME.
one Correspondent Believes Gooi
Comes From Publishing the News.

o"o correspondent believes Good
Comes From Publishing the News.
To the Editor of the Globe.
MISS Sanford, OF the University Of Mime
struggle of progressive humanity against
many forms Of evil, made plant a few days
ago In paper read before the Woman's
Council Council OF Minneapolis that the newspapers
publish too fully the details of crime, and
added suggestions as to how her woman
hearers could best bring about change in
this direction. Much of the criticism Of
and abilities Of Miss Sanford command at
tention for her utterances, and it is safe to
assume that she can give due weight to the
ideas OF any who do not agree with her
It may be safely asserted that the more
familiar the reformer is with all the details
OF the evil or crimes he has set himself
against, the better Is he prepared for the
struggle. Tho preacher, the labor leader, the
advocate OF purer politics. the temperance
reformer, the scientist devoted to bettering
economic and social conditions. and all who
study crime only for good purposes, look to
the columns OF the newspapers for their In
formation. The average criminal desires to
avoid publicity far more than Miss Sanford
desires II for him. When detected, he may
try to make the most OF unsought notoriety,
but he does not Hike to be detected. It is the
duty OF detectives and newspaper reporters
to make public all the details Of his miscon-
duct that he may properly be dealt with. II
this publicity is not furnished by those whose
duty 1t is to do so, there are straightway
crusaders and Summers and committees of
citizens acting as volunteer detectives, and
cropping for facts in unsavory precincts. II
one were asked what organization today Is
most successful In reaching and elevating
those of the lowest moral strata In our
cities, the answer would be "The Salvation
Army" II one were asked what religious
organization Is best informed as to the hab-
its, condition. needs and possibilities Of the
criminal class, the answer would again be
t"The Salvation Army" The knowledge pos
sessed by the Salvation Army gives 1t much
Of its power for good.
Miss Sanford objects mainly to the story of
wrong in newspaper columns. because the
story thus gets into the family. That is
where It ought TO go. Back Of our courts
and laws are the voters, whose crystaliZed
sentiments become laws. How shall the vot-
er properly do his duty unless he knows of
the evils which most need suppression?
without darkness we could not Justly appre-
ciate sunshine; without sorrow there would
be no flavor in happiness. No child can he
taught the beauty of holiness except by con-
trast with the ugliness Of sin. What the
LIGHT of the sun is to the physical world. the
light OF publicity is to the moral world. The
criminal sinks In the allevs. and II is part
Of the business of the newsDaDer TO turn
headlight on him. The reformed man stands
on a platform TO tell his experiences, while
the brothers and sisters beam m him.
News IS news. The aDpetite fur IT,
whole is normal, healthy appetite, and
the getting of 1t is very invigoratipg exer-
else. -E. d. Taylor.
Minneapolis. March go 1895.