New-York tribune., 1905-02-02
THE FORCE OF VICIOUS SUGGESTION
Unwisdom of Broadcast Circulation of De-
tails of Crime and Vice.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: An appalling increase Of crimes of various
sorts, out of proportion to increased population
should lead TO earnest inquiry into causes.
Never before has this country known veritable
oontagion of assaults women and young girls
both In the South and in the more temperate North
While startling dishonesty. in high places and in
low. keeps even pace with the most degrading
vices
It is notorious that one or more types of crime
will sometimes sweep over q community like a
tidal wave This spread of vice from criminal IL
criminal can be attributed only to actual in
ocuation by the virus of poisonous suggestion. The
hypnotized subject is not the only who can
be influenced by suggestions, good bad Sug
gestion is the handspring in childish imitation
Example embodied suggestion is the moulding force
in every community Suggestion is the effective
ital Of the demagogue and the mob leader; but also
OF every preacher. orator and author 1t is much
less what one says than what he leads his hearers
20 think and act.
In that strata of life where the will. unframed
end fettered by privaton and ignorance. is easily
directed evil suggestions are sparks the tinder
Of latent impulses. To the depraved. gross
crime is spur onward a child is impelled to
rash deeds by Il dare you to do itl' There is the
right soil and the stony ground for evil for coed
The almost omnipresent daily or twice or thrice
daily newspapers se4ze upon. greedily enlarge and
but we are all responsible! No has fully real
ized the subtle undermining influence Of evil COM
In more barbarous lays the people were invites
from like crimes. Were their measures for their
times better or worse than ours to-day? Witness
tribution; offers OF marriage to chorus girl on
trial for the murder of her paramount the palpable
swindling Of modern times; humorous hints and
curious freaks of publicly manifested sympathy for
the worst offenders
cause Of our needless methods Of broadoastng our
claim public
mands and likes The same public likes the open
saloon the gambling nj. & den Da, and the S, 6rothe
broadly free possible. but within wholesome de-
honors and misrepresents itself by bringing its hu-
initiating facts into such undue prominence
hidden. but the immoral type can work far more
widely spread disaster Let the records of crime be
dents of political and social science, and made ac
a 70 % TO fs tbe eoGI G at o
the young and and the weak by keeping our search.
lights directed upon tho more debasing examples OF
We appeal to the respectable public to help in
newsmongers ashamed to exploit vice for the gen
We appeal to the press to Loyalty second us in
this greatly important matter. popular news,
the vice and crime of nation. and certainly It has
right to drench the commonwealth with con-
we appeal to religion. the predestlned guardian
of public morals. Here is practical work for
We appeal to science, the latest authority for
Baneful effects of vicious suggestions To breathe
tainted mental atmosphere is tar more haTIarul ld
loaded with noxlous gases.
We call upon the same power that long ago for.
criminals, now, when the need is greater, to forbid
the ne day the this spGa aao 'Rf % b one OF
Hopefully then we apgeal to the S majesty 6 ct the
of the very crimes to which it attaches Its gravest
pei'A-''A ANTo1NErTE BROWN BLACKWELL
New-York. Jan. 81, 1906.