The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
SALUTARY EFFECT OF PUBLICITY
A Reply by the Rev. Antoinette Brown
Blackwell TO 'The SUMS" Remarks

Blackwell TO THE SUMS" Remarks.
To THE EDITOR or THE SUS-Sir, Thank
you sincerely for yesterdays editorial OF tho
above title. which gives me the opportunity
OF writing on another phase OF the crime
problem. / also believe that publicity Is
one OF the most potent Of restraining inau-
ences to any class which has gained honor
able standing socially. But there Is a broad
distinction between the misdemeanors Of
that mature and coveted elevation and those
OF the starved world OF poverty. misdirected
impulse, ignorance and social dlscredt,
Equally removed are they from the lmma-
turIty Of all childhood.
My former paper dealt chiefly with the
only crimes possible to the weak and the
young. My appeal was for their protection
from needless temptations.
Tho force OF vicious suggestion Is epidemic
among all classes to which It's crimes appeal
as temptation. Witness the spread OF trusts
working In restraint OF trade. In Illegal re-
bates. in frenzied finance, in organized white
slave trading All these are dishonest for
the sake OF moneyed gain.
But here the antidote Ia close at hand.
As soon as the people are fully Informed as
to the system. the system receives Its death
blow The wider. the more detailed the ex-
posure Of all crooked. cool blooded plotting
of greed and ambition to enrich the few at
the expense of the many. the better, Hon
esty and Intelligence OF the better sort can
and will deal hard Blows when they see Just
where and what 10 strike.
with these greater mature criminals the
popular Mrs. Grundy Is more powerful than
legislation Legislation may be made to
yield to powerful moneyed influence, but
all OF the good people Of a community will
not consent TO be robbed by one hand and
bribed by the other. The open eyed public
will protect itself.
The great lesson OF this age is that OF the
honest trust. the efficient. wise. invncbs
copartncrshlp. Organization ia power. but
II must ground itself upon impartial justice,
II not on the nj CHER basis OF pure beneyolence.
1t is Impossible to deceive all OF the people
all OF the time.
But what do the crooks and toughs Of out
at-elbow humanity care for the public
opinion Of responsibility which seems alien
and antagonistic 20 thcrs? Their Mrs
Grundy Ia not wearing broadcloth and ak.
Her highest admiration is given 10 the most
slQlfu OF her sons and daughters who can
most cleverly overrcach the hated ana ehNel
The young, also. whether we'll or Ill pro
vlded for. are too immature to realize ths
crushing weight Of general upright condem-
nation Crime TO them is half Innocence, ~
In the nature of the case. the crimes 81 all
OF these must be largely OF a personal nearlY
pulse OF uncurbed passions. OF grevous needs.
often OF suffering so unbearable that despera!s
deeds seem the only open door 70 relief To
TO which they can yield Is eNll and only eVii
continually.
munity would suffer loss II criminal courts
were legally. required 70 use their best di--
erection TO decide what si5diep enc on1ii Tod y"
is not the best school room Tor loaIers
Would the Commonwealth be the poorer II
newspapers were forbidden by law 70 eTpa-
tlate uDon M some Of them do to fairly glOat
over the details Of these criminal trialsf And
II public opinion should become, sirong anu
noble enou Oh to Kill the yellow Of all Journal
ism outright, would that be lmpoVer'shlhR
the natiOni -
Far East. we are nearer today than ever
before 10 international peace and arhitraton.
Submerged environments are still IN ne
are coming more and more INTO the sum
shine. The Bible language OF two or thres
thousand years ago is not our language, Of
TO-DAY though its golden rule is the creed Of
Christendom. Some Of It's earlier methods
of treating vice are not the best methods oil
Even that manifold book. the Bible, has rs
higher and lower planes. its more than one
standard OF morals 90,
With what century can we class this nuinlH-
ating advertisements
PENNSYLVANIA GREAT DOUBLE E8RcU-
TOM
Hanging o, Mrs. Kate Edwards and Samuel
ccpiion the nrst woman In ninety-nVe years 10
hang in Pennsylvania
The Utica Saturday Giobe. In It's Issues for febiu
AIRY II and February Is Will describe the crime.
the prison life and the hanging OF these murdcrers
George d. Shay the well known descriptive writer.
and photographer sent from Utica TO the scene
OF the murder ana the jei IN Reading will furnish
the Globe readers With the best account OF tbs
execution. will have more and better picture.
than ans other paper and Will be une orc 10
preserve and send TO absent friends OF tets re-
iuarkahle crime and execution.
order copies OF this issue OF the Saturday Gloos
agent.
Thank fortune that the non-delivery %
the thirty pieces OF silver need not impel that
a gent and that journal to suicide. There Ia
room for reform alton.
or course, side by side with heathendon
we have purer morality than ever before.
We have a larger proportion OF upright intelli-
gence and unselfishness. Just now. II organ
lied fraud is not more widely developed.
II is much more in painful evidence The
sleeping lion of wise felf-protective and help
lessness- protective energy is only beginning
to awake. thanks to the vigorous news
paper and magazine exposures of the COM
plex. deliberately planned and executed
schemes OF the modern types of Wholesale
To all OF these turn on the search
Il ghts strenuously. releutles'ly.
Comparative statistics Of that class Of crimes
have not Vet been tabulRted II ever thNv
are brought into tho classification with other
crimes the effect will be wonderful and highly
emil ghtening The world moves ever onward.
but il has always moved in curves, and not
In a continuous straight line.
hNTolNFTrR BRowS BLACKWELL.
ELI7ABETH. March ?.