Evening star., 1933-04-02
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star


a century ago because there we're no
films of any kind,
Jesse James but the possibility
As a Hero. Of the corruption Of
youth by dramatic
representations of crime was appre-
hended as the following in The Star OF
March 26, 1888, indicates:
"A minister of Newburyport. Mass,
has set the example of invoking the law
for the suppression of vicious dramatic
representations. He made complaint
against travelling theatrical company
which presented the late highwayman,
Jesse James, in the character of hero.
In this play, as presented, highway rob-
berry was pictured as a noble calling,
offering a most tempting field OF occu-
patton to the youth of the land. The
minister had the actors arrested there
fore upon the charge that they were
corrupting the morals of the young by
making vice attractive. The court con-
sidered the charge grave enough to bind
the accused over to the grand jury"
-
The "dime novel" Of that time was
also regarded as pernicious influence.
Protest Against March n. 1883,
the Dime Novel. says; ,s w.,,
recognized social fact that the cheap
literature of the day has a cor
rupting tendency on the minds of the
young The low price of these poison
Gus publications places them within
reach of boys and girls everywhere and
as the production of them is profitable
there is an active competition in it. 1t
is only within the last few years that
the young have been exposed to this cor
rupting influence. Formerly the cost Of
publishing books placed the price be-
yond the pennies and nickels that chill
dren could Scrape together, and ordi-
narily boy or girl only obtained book
through purchase by the parents. Now,
unfortunately. it is the very worst class
of literature that is so cheapened as to
fall readily into the hands of the young.
Publishers pander to the morbid taste
because it pays, and the writer who can
paint crime in the most alluring colors
commands the highest price. Juvenile
imitators of the James brothers have
been detected with pistols. purchased
with stolen money, in several instances.
They had read dime novels, which pic
tured the robber and assassin as hero.
Two youths not out of their teens, in
Arkansas, lately carried their adrnira-
ton Of the James brothers to actual per-
formance and undertook to rob a rail-
way train. Now, as inmates of the
penitentiary they confess that 1t was
vicious literature which instilled crimi-
nal ideas into their minds. But the
other day young mamie was not 81
@f l. t.
for murder. When he shot his unof-
tending victim down he eXultantly said:
Now I've knocked out my man and I'm
tough He was ambitious to be known
as noted criminal and it took him 70
the gallows. 1t behooves society, there
fore, to correct this evil by prevention
rather than by punishment. If that can
be done. 1t is difficult problem. but
it is one that demands consideration"
X
The present starting problem had It's
forerunner so years ago in the question
Sparrow the English sparrows.
prohIsu The Star of March
AAoDieA' %, 1888, says:
ION the principle of allowing both
sides to be heard, place is given in an
other column to a communication in
throws no new nor reliable light on the
subject In this case the Pennsylvania
farmers hold one theory and our corre-
,pondent entertains another. The weight
of authority, however Is against him on
The disputed theoretical point. and so
are the ascertained facts. AS all old
residents of the city know, before the
sparrow found its way here all our parks
we're full of native singing birds of
nearly all varieties, though the accom-
and food for them were far
ess then than now. To see or hear one
It the present time is a treat rarely
'nioyed. The noisy. quarrelsome SPAR
ow has driven them out and taken
heir place. For this reason. If for NO
'ther, it should be exterminated."