Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-13
GRIMES AND the rREss.

1t may bs "a some voice OF one crylrg
in The wildernesR" to speak about The
terrible increase Of crime among the
nations of the earth, and the causes
that are responsible for this condition;
siil the voice is more and more dis.
tinctly heard and II Ia also command
in1 come attention.
A French j)urual recently gave
come startling figures to provo how
crime gradually lays hold Of the
young. From 1925 10 1880 while In
France the number OF crimes among
I'd Its had Increased three-iold, the
criminality OF youth between sixteen
aud twenty qusdrupleJ. in the period
1880 1893 the showing Is still worse
Cnild.crimintlg Increased In numbaf
twenty-five per cent, adult criminals
but eleven rer cent. More thaa malt the
arrests u Paris are Of oflendera under
twenly-onp. Those' French figures are
shown by MIR. W. Douglas Morrison to
be typical Tor England nud also for the
United States.
Mr.. Gerry, PRECEDENT OF the sooie,y
for the Prevention OF Cruelty TO Child
rem, charges the public prgss with
much oil tn responsibility Tor the in.
create Of crime among the youth Ia
New York CITY. Ga this subIect he
Gays in his annual address:
The first course of thoir training in
vice is what may we'll be called vicious
Journalism. Lurid s,ories OF crime,
illustrated by vivid pictures represent
ing criminals in daring and attractive
attitudes; descriptions Of criminals ar
resled for gross immnralities, with tho
like pictorial illustrations; nara ives OF
these and especially OF children charged
with crime, wheru all the details are
elaborated with tho greatest care, with
their pictures oiton OF n snlacious char
Hcter, make doop-seatod ana deep
rooted impression. Any ono cOnVorsing
with children held for crimo may Aoon
learn whence tho suggestions Of crime
are derived. They arc only too ready 10
talk on tho subject and frequently to
compare their exploits with those chron-
icled in these newspapers.
Mr.. Gerry thinks that as for the
effects OF this kind OF journalism
the editors might iust % well 60
teach the children 10 PICK pockets, fire
houses and poison food.
NJ. Fouille. French writer 90 the
same subj sc,, takes a similar view. He
believes that tbs very recital OF crime,
lite description in disgusting details,
exorts upon badly.balauced minds
moral pressure which is practically
irresistible. So clear ia this relation OF
description OF crime TO the commission
OF crime, that congresses OF criminol-
oglsts aud philanthropisls aud Rssoola.
lions against immoral literature have
again and again asked for laws making
1t a penal ufieuse to publish detailed
account OF crimes and executions, or
even to publish the picture OF nOtorl-
ous criminal.
The influence Of the press over the
public miud lie well illustrated in the
reports from Carson CITY, Nevada,
where at the present, according to the
account, verltaple prize fghi fever
has seized the entire community, email
boys, Legislators, frequentera OF saloons
and tenants OF the prison. What
effect will this have upon tho email
boy and his Sister in years to come?
what associations will they be drawn
tor What direction VIII 1t give
their minds, their heRrle, which
naturally have q tendency TO evil from
the early period OF life2 Such ques-
tiors naturally arise, aud parents and
educators cannot but calculate the
answer with feelings OF sadness and
misgivinEs.
1t is customsry to shift the responsi-
bility for the dissemination OF crime
breeding literature on the general
public, but this can be admitted only
in part. The history of the press
proves that when sensations first wer,
resOrted to as part Of journalism, their
appearance was a shock 10 the public.
Tie papers were regarded as outctsis
not to be mentioned in polite society.
They were, however, read oil the
same, just because every oEe was
curious to see just to what depths
OF depfuvity an editor would dare
to descend in public. Lega
pfoseCutions assisted the sale
OF the papers, and the business wR
prosperous. Finally, what to com.
meGss with wss regarded as literary
fifth assured tho Btalus 1t now hRs
legitimate enterprise. II has come
about by gradual process OF familiar
iEing the public with 1t.
In so far, then, as the responsibility
rests with the public, to thu public an
appeal must be made for the remedy.
VIM the time ever come when true
Chrlatisn men and women will refuse
to support the papers that bring moral