The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-07
Good and Bad Literature.

Three potent influences are at work to
influence and shape conduct, the llv-
ing voice, the force of example, and
thought embalmed in printed litera-
ture. We thank God for the art OF Print
ing and writing. This has preserved
to us the noble thought of past ages. 1t
has made this ours. 1t delights us to
converse with the sages, philosophers
and saints of other days. We bless God
for the Holy Scriptures. The inven-
ton of printing has made them ours.
This has made it possible to scatter
them abroad. 1t has cheapened i'm.
measurably their price. The art OF
richest blessings.
Like almost every other gift, it has
been perverted to the basest purposes.
i The press is like music. 1t yields its
sweetness and power as readily to the
vile and sensual anu wicked as it does
| to the pure, the virtuous and the saint
|ly, That which will corrupt can be
printed and illustrated. The whole
beauty of the art can be made to sub
serve the vilest purposes, and the pro-
duction from the pen of the archfiend,
printed and illustrated in the highest,
iGXDT6SSlOuS vi al Juou 90 PNSo'S1S ~
that of the Savior Himself.
No one can measure the harm thai
may be done by bad literature. This
may be in the form of error, undermln'
ing belief, or in the form of immodesty
or indecency, undermining morals. A
bad publication is like bad man or
woman. You guard yonr daughter
from the influence of evil women. You
keen YOUR son frem the association OF
gamblers, thieves and drunkards. The
association of bad book, bad paper,
bad picture may be worse. These
pollute the imagination. Your child'S
Imagination is picture gallery. "A
bad picture hung in that gallery may
corrupt and destroy that child.
The country il at this time subjected
to an invasion from another direction.
It is proposed now. to introduce i'm
mod esty, not to- say indecency, in the
name of art. This is direct attack
upon morals. This and other displays
of pictures, printed or living or a
degradation of woman, with vile pur'
nose in view. They are shocking To
every sense Of modesty. Some of our
publishers and news dealers would
make our age less, modest than the
days of heathen Rome.
On one occasion there was, among
the vestal virgins, suicidal mama
The authorities attempted, for some
time in vain, to stop it. At last they
threatened public exposure of the per
son of the suicide. 1t was then that
their sense of womanly modesty
came to their rescue. Now, these
gentlemen, for their own purpose ol
gain, propose to break down, as far as
they can contribute to that END, the
modesty of people. Destroy man s
or woman's sense of modesty, destroy
that of the children, and what next
Immodest art representations, lmmod
est books and papers are accomplishing
this very end, and we calmly suoml'
to it.
What steps shall We take as to bad
publications. Exclude Them from your
home as you would poisonous snakes
Let no immoral hook or paper or pic
ture enter there. Exclude them from
the salable publications. See that pro-
per laws are passed and enforced. Any
CITY can do this. Purify the atmos'
phere in which your children move
! Demand that immodest pictures shall
not be exhibited in public. Then put
good literature into the hands of your
children. Satisfy their appetite fol
reading by giving them what is whole
some. Take other good literature. II
exists i'm abundance.
The publication of our literature is
one of the most important questions o
the day. Let us be alive and on the
alert as TO its importance.