The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-10-10

NH a q er1me TO teach q child to
read and then not 1eII Il what and
how TO read" says true thinker. In
thinking OF this and then OF the num-
Der Of hashy, cheap sensational yell
low journals which are spread broad
cast through our country one cannot
Rpt realize that harm must come TO
our youth through these channels. In
the columns Of the paper our children
xneet cad associate with people whom
We would b. no means adnnAt Within
cur gates, that g Il the paper belongs
20 this claaa We fully believe that
alred In ne courts, the distinguishing
honor q big head lines, all details.
brought ont - far IS possible, de-
zcrtbing the dress and manner and
personal appearances o. parties con-
carned, All tend to lessen IN the eyes
OF our young people the wrong dOdngs
OF which they are guilty. What mat
feTS II u SAey be rich, beautiful. or In
high positio17 = that an ezcuse for
theaD4 Does q make their conduct
any Iess ofensivef And then going
though sometimes there Is . carnival
OF faoraI ana mental degradation
which must be illustrated % II the
monstrosfEtes produced may be called
pictures or Illustrations. OF course
these papers sell, so does whiskey, so
90 cards and dice and all the other ar
rangenents Of like kind. But II our
so called newspapers and self-Styled
periodicals are to be purveYors Of this
kidd Of pernieious thought, thought
which soon becomes action, what are
we TO do. where is Il to stop?
Show me the reading list OF q FAM
" 4 nj II rr4H a
idea OF its mental tone. Can we set
before children food OF harmful ma
ture but good 20 taste and expect
them TO resist the desire 10 eat Il? I
believe that any student Of psychology
will bear me out in the assertion that
the brain either grows IN power or
loses In power, and Is the brain. or IL
you will, that unseen, resietless force,
which 50 largely controls the life Of
all mankind. a thing to be tTifled
with? A possession whose measure
less possibilities are TO be squan-
dered, or worse, turned into instru-
msnts OF contagious degradation?
We believe the publication of all pa
pers whose columns give undue pub
hcity to scandals OF any nature, or
crimes OF any sort, should be discon-
tinued, OF made to bring these things
down to- strictly business affair.
Who is very deeply interested In the
details Of a divorce. murder. or scan
dal suit or case whose history Is one
Of human degradation and vice? Who
wants the pictures OF these people
staring at them from the columns Of
their paper7 Why give crime such
nohoriety. when II should be given
merely the attention needed 10 rid So
ciety Of It's pestilential existenoef
"a money to be the basis upon which
al things are valued? Is purity of
thought In old and young 70 be Of
fered At its shrine? And purity or
aston Is very closely allied to purity
OF thought. Lines OF suggestion"
what do they mean to the young
mind? Ask any teacher or experience
and the answer will bear out the as
sertAon make when i say that the
literature which fills our country is
responsible for much OF our crime. It
is true we have countless noble ana
high-boned papers. books and periodi-
calls. by I am speaking Of the kind
which are sent out like the falling
leaves OF autumn as to number And
on. The storiesI What heroines and
heroesi What riches they revel in;
how the heroines disdain the usual
womanly fear of being afraid 20 beat
around in dark and horrible places!
Their goodness is goody good, and
their badness is baby bad. and there
IS such a mixture Of nobleness, and
beauty. and meanness and sweetness,
and daring and loving, and-and-oh;
well one gets generally mixed up and
waasa.1o be something or nothing. or
aor something, or they don't
ew what. There Is about
hfulness 10 nature In the