The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-12-19

per is almost incalculable.
Napoleon said: 81 fear three
newspapers more than hundred thou
sand bayOnets."
Literature, and especially the news
paper, is the moulder of public opin-
ion. The amount of power welded by
a newspaper with large circulation is
something astonishing There is some
thing about the printed words that ap-
peals to the mediocre man that would
not affect him if they were simply
written or spoken. He seems to think
that because thing is printed it must
necessarily be true.
Press censorship cannot be resorted
to in republic. Talk of press censor
ship to French editor, or Partisan
editor rather, and you arouse a storm
of indignation. Surely the omniscient
editor ought to know what is best for
the people without governmental inter-
ference! and then he will sit down and
write two column editorial filled with
red-hot, sizzling adjectives, and quaint
French oaths. Nevertheless, the lib
erty of the press must be restricted
after it has passed certain point In
short, when it commences to exert an
immoral influence on the community
at large.
There is one class of literature that
is more pernicious than any other; that
is the cheap novel of the yellow back
variety. l do not refer to all cheap
publications when say this, but rather
to what is commonly known as "the
dime novel," The reason this class
of literature is so corrupting in it's
influence is this, that it appeals to
children and youths just entering into
that stage of life preceding early man.
hood. TO those of us who have reached
period where we can admire Shakes
peare, and find SchOpenhauer and Plato
really interesting, these publications
simply appear ludicrOus, but with
childhood it is different.
An adult knows that three-fOurths
of what he sees and hears in life are
simply illusions. The child believes
everything it sees and hears. Conse-
quently the monstrous, unnatural
characters depicted in dime novels, and
the still more mOnstrous and depraved
meanings conveyed in alluring Ian
guage, make an impression on the
young intellect that never can be oblit-
Grated.
An adult admires detective story of
the sherlock Holmes" type because of
it's analytical qualities, but child cam
not appreciate these niceties of ana
lytical observation because its mind is
not sufficiently matured to do so. Con-
sequently the only type of novel that
can appeal to it is one that conveys an
impression of physical sensations, or of
remarkable feats of physical prowess.
Now, novel may give accounts OF
fighting and other exciting expe-
riences. and yet not be a bad book at
all. G. A. Henty, the famous author
of stories for children and youths, has
written an enormous number of novels,
but do not believe that in any of them
can be found anything that would ex-
ert an evil influence on child's mind.
It is not the Henty type of litera-
ture that makes degenerates; it is the
kind that is published under the head
ing OF "Nick Carter" series, dead
wood Dick" and "Old Sleuth" series,
ETC., etc. The kind in which the hero,
after digging his way out of subter-
ranean dungeon, kills sixty-fve men
and fourteen bulldogs, climbs wall
seventytwo feet high and escapes into
darkness vowing vengeance between
clenched teeth. W
OF course those of a mature mind