The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-27


fishing them who would willingly discontinue their
publication IL such action were sustained by
healthy public sentiment; therefore be it
Resolved. That VIC, the League Of American Pen
Women use our efforts To suppress or greatly I'M
prove the sccslled comic supplement, and 70 that
end solicit a general expression Of public opinion
from those who have the welfare Of our children a.
heart; and be it further
ministers and church organizations. womens clubs
and mems clubs, and all other thoughtful persons
10 join with Us in our efforts for the suppression
or radical refom of the pernicous comic supple
msnt. .
Chairman Committee on Comic Supplement,
League Of American Pen Women,
ELIZABETH A HYDE. President
Address all communications TO Mrs Edith King
man Kern, chairman. ISIS + street, Washington
j.. c,
In speaking of the efforts Of the Pen
Women's League and other organizations,
Mrs. Edith Kingman Kern said:
In the interest of all children. the
prevailing comic supplement should be
abolished from all Sunday newspapers
The so-called comic supplement was orig
inaHy featured by certain newspapers
through a desire TO increase their circu-
lation by catering 10 an ignorant class OF
readers who would be amused by the por-
travail of life and the use Of Language
most familiar to them The example Of
these papers, commonly called yellow
journals. mas been so widely followed
that there is scarcely a city or suburban
home into which the comic supplement
does not enter. Whatever novelty or orig
inality there may have been in comic
supplement, the idea has now been worn
fhreadbare and the comic supplement
with its present features should be abol-
ished and replaced by something whole
some and elevaung.
some enterprising newspapers have
never countenanced the publication Of a
comic supplement. others have discon-
tinued its publication. and still others
would gladly discontinue 1t if they were
sustained by a healthy sentiment. If all
intelligent parents would fully acquaint
themselves with the contents of the
comic supplements by q careful examina-
ton of them for several successive Sun
DAYS in different papers. they would
readily be convinced Of their harmful
ness and appeal to the publishers for
their discontinuance, or, as some parents
do. destroy them before they reach the
hands of their children.
ITO the discredit of many parents, IL
must be said that they though inteili-
gent in other respects, are not fully
acquainted with the contents and nature
Of the comic supplement. and are there
fore ignorant of its injurious effect upon
their children. Cultured parents Will find
this supplement in sharp competition
with the mental and moral training OF
their children. 1t exerts a poisonous
influence against the high ideals they
desire to incuIcate. 1t tends to the degra-
dalton of children by giving them low
ideas Of manners and morals The gro
tesque figures depicted in glaring colors
on the pages are often shocking to de.
cency. The language accompanying these
pictures is usually coarse. ungrammati.
cal. vulgar. and utterly devoid of cul
ture. The pages TEEN with the cheapest
travesties OF low life.
1.-The supplement aims and professe:
to be comic. but is a dismal failure Il
all but immature minds It's intended
humor Is. at the best. empty and silly
It's chief characteristic to mature mind,
is the dead monotony of its dulIness.
Adults may cast it aside with but
casual glance, pronouncing 1t insipid an,
devoid OF humor, but this opinion is no
shared by the juveniles, who seize TIL
discarded sheet with avidity. being at
tracted by the grotesque figures. highI,
eolored in yellow, red, and green. The!
are eager to see the pictures. They rea,
the exploits of their Sunday heroes witt
intense interest. They see nothing bat
in these pictures and exploits To then
they are all funny or smart Parent
and grandparents, uncles and aunts
nurses and servants, playmates and DO
licemen, friends and neighbors-in fact
everybody-must be caricatured and rid
euled to furnish amusement for imma
ture and impressionable minds.
Children are very irresponsible beings
They seldom reason. We cannot expec
them TO examine the comic supplemer
on its merits and to reject it as unhealtf
ful for their young minds, Il should b
the concern OF thoughtful parents
place about their children as great
protective environment as possible. If tn
bad examples pictured in the majorit
of the comic supplements We're kept froI
the sight of children, they would still sc
too much of things demoralizing to the
highest moral advancement.
children learn more readily by ez
ample than by precept. Impressions re
celved through the sense OF sight are tn
most indelible This is a well know
psychological fact. and is the key stor
OF all primary instruction. II is on az
count of this fact that the most is to b
feared from the supplement. The undo
= sirable Illustrations and accompanyin
Language are quickly absorbed throug
tha eye. Sooner or later the low idea
thus received viii translate themselve
into acts and words. In fact, the vulga
slang ana ungrammatical speech OF boy
and girls have their principal basis an
support Ia the comic supplement.
'sWhat q travssty upon Us as America