CONDEMNATION OF PERNICIOUS LITERATURE

New Zealand Tablet, 27 March 1913, Page 43

CONDEMNATION OF PERNICIOUS LITERATURE

In the course of his Lenten Pastoral his Eminence Cardinal Logue says: I have often before warned the people against the, moral ruin to which so many are exposed by vile publications which are not only offered, but . forced upon them by every device which ingenuity can suggest. Unscrupulous agents, for a little ill-gotten gain, circulate these productions in spite of all remonstrance. The pernicious cunning with which they are spread broadcast would often seem to be inspired by the spirit of evil himself. Sometimes advertisements appear in newspapers apparently so harmless that they, no doubt, deceive tlie editors who insert them; but, if responded to, they will draw forth abominations which would shock the most callous conscience. What is most astonishing is that this corrupting traffic goes on openly under the very eyes of the supposed guardians of public order and decency, without the least effort to bring the delinquents to account. Sometimes, indeed, when attention is directed to the evil by private persons, a solitary spurt is made; but there the matter ends. Those guardians of public order never seem to think that they themselves arc bound to bunt out the delinquents and bring them to punishment. They can tell off detectives and employ every device and disguise—and rightly so— trap Wen those who adulterate food; one would think that similar ingenuity would be well employed in detecting the corrupters of public morals. It is not so in other countries, even in those governed by the professed enemies of Christianity. The panderers of cleanliness are sought out and punished; their vile productions are seized in shops, stopped in the post, and destroyed wherever they are found. Thank God, our people have, at last, taken the matter into their own hands; and they have never embarked on a, nobler cause. The vigilance committees which have been organised in many centres should be encouraged and energetically supported by every one who values innocence and purity. They should be established in every spot from * which this unclean literature emanates and wherever its agents and propagators lurk. The warfare which they wage is for innocence, decency, clean homes, and the fair fame of our people. But vigilance committees can only deal with what is openly and decidedly bad. There are numerous publications, under the guise of novels, novelettes, and magazine stories which are doubtful and worse than doubtful. The poison is not the less deadly when concealed under the thin veil of apparent decency, and spread by the attraction of literary style. No beauty of thought or elegance of- diction can purge the festering rottenness which lurks beneath. One often wonders how authors of name, very often women, and publishers of respectability, can suffer such publications to go abroad under their signature and bearing their imprint. Their powers of invention must be very poor indeed, if they can find no higher theme whereupon to display their talents than conjugal infidelity, with its attendant intrigues, which underlies the plat of many modern novels. This class of literature constitutes a ' danger against which mere Christian prudence dictates that each one should guard himself, and a sacred duty obliges those m authority to protect all for whom they are responsible. J The more exclusion, however, of bad or dangerous literature is but half the work. The taste for reading, which is in itself so laudable, must be gratified by placing within easy reach of the people good, sound" interesting, healthy publications. There is no lack of these Here in Ireland we have a number of Catholic periodicals, sound in teaching, attractive, interesting and instructive We would have many more if they were patronised as they ought to be; if our promising young writers were not forced, from want of encouragement and support, to carry their contributions further afield. Were the large sums annually lavished on foreign importations spent in encouraging native talent

we would have a flourishing periodical literature. Both in this country and in England we have in circulation Catholic weekly papers which, in useful information and even in interest, far surpass the flimsy, sensational, pernicious rags which are so persistently forced on the attention of the people. With the weekly papers and cheaper periodicals each one can easily supply himself; but organised effort, such as reading rooms and lending libraries, are necessary to bring books and the higher priced periodicals within the reach of general readers. No one could give himself to more useful and meritorious work than to provide, by such means, for the instruction, culture, and edification of our Catholic people.