The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-06-24
THE STANDARD.
THURSDAY, ,--JUNE "a, 1875.
lContinned trom First Paae.l }


tions of the world must always be more
desirable news for the editor to purvey
than its vicious doings, and must also be
most pleasing to the reader 1t is this
refined moral taste in the moral readers
of newspapers that makes it so easy to
the editor to sustain high standard of
refinement in the contents of his paper.
The support which an editor receives
from the moral reading public in exelud-
ing from his paper sensational unwhole-
someness, and keeping it from being sew
er of scandals and social ulcers, disgorg-
ing into every family. is one of the love-
liest exhibitions of human nature. Eve
ry one, especially every father and moth
er, praises the newspaper which main
tains high standard of decency and
morality, by excluding from its columns
all reports of private immoralities and
uncleanness, whose publication is to no
end but to feed prurient tastes. They
applaud it without stint as conservator
of the public decency and as fit to enter
refined families. But for their own part,
they prefer to read the paper that is the
social sewer, just to see what wicked
world we live in.
The moral support which the great
moral engine receives from the moral
and religious public is one of the most
promising features in journalism.
DupDOS6 IuGI0 were SOLu6 exposure Ol
the corruption and disgrace of a family,
attended with all the coarse and revolt
ing features; which did not concern the
public at all, save to crafty prurient
appetite; and whose publication could
serve no moral purpose. And suppose
that one of the newspapers of the place,
which, consistently aimed at high NOR
al standard, should exclude all reports
of it, while its neighbor, which indepen-
IDENTIFY aimed at nothing but to make the
paper sell, were to publish 1t
would be the course of the
most of the moral and religious fathers
and mothers toward the two papers2
They would praise the decent one as a
model family journal The heart of the
editor would be made glad by this ap-
plause from those whose opinions he
holds of most value. He would feel that
the virtue which refrained from sensa-
tion was its own reward. He would feel
its sufficiency all the more when he
found that they who elapped him on the
back for his virtue bought the paper
which bruited the scandal, and made it
the talk of their own circle, and persuad-
ed all they met that that was the paper
to take if they wanted to know what was
going on.
But let it not be thought there is any
lack of principle in all this. The pub
fishers of the social sewer, and the relig-
ious readers of it, are, like Mr.. Pecksnitf,
mindful alike of their moral responsible
ties. The reader feels that he has no
moral responsibility for reading that
which is published, and the publisher
feels that he has no moral responsibility
for publishing that which moral and re-
hgious people want to read.
But the great and croWning maxim of
journalism is that the paper must SELL
it must suit the market-it must please
the multitude. Its merits are measured
by the number of buyers. The editor
who runs counter to the prejudices of
any class, so that he loses subscribers, is
accounted (and justly SOY a bungler at
his trade-a failure And he who fur
nishes paper that best suits the market
is accounted the greatest moral engineer
And in this rule the democratic princi-
pie prevails, that one mans money is as
good as anothers.
At the first view this seems to bring
the editor down from his sublime moral
height, and to make him a mere manu-
facturer of a commodity for the market.
This would be almost an excess of sim
plicity for true greatness.
Can it be that the great moral engin-
eer is after all the slave of the publicl
That he is only huckster for the daily
MARKET A mere mechanic, making
things to orderl A mercenary trader
buying and selling according to the de-
mands of the times; subject to the same
necessity as the fsh-monger, to see that
his wares 60 off while fresh
This would be SO debasing to the ideal
we have formed that we are sure it can
not be true, no matter how like it is in
appearance. Any professor of journal
ism could tell the difference. 1t is true
the line of distinction would be very
fine But our most essential differences
are upon the finest lines. The paradise
of Mohammed Is reached by crossing a
chasm on bridge of single hair. The
true believer passes over this narrow
way with sure feet but the unbeliev er
falls of into perdition. This is typical
of the fine line which divides everlasting ng
things. If therefore the line which dis
tinguishes the great moral engineer from
the mercenary manufacturer be narrow,
that will be proof that it is absolute.
But in truth the distinction is in a prin-
ciple as broad and as deep as the founda-
tions of our political institutions.
Those French Communist philosophers,
from whom Jefferson borrowed the great
self-evident truth that all men are born
with equal capacities, lent US at the same
time another equally great and equally
self-evident truth, which is made the
more infallible by being put into Latin
Vox Populi, Vox Dei-the voice of the
multitude is the voice of God 1t is a
great compliment to God For always
was it found that the voice of the multi
tude was always wise and just. There
fore the independent editor, in the very
necessity that he shall please the multi
tude, is infallibly directed by the Vox
Del. The requirement that it shall suit
the market makes the journal an infalli
BILE moral engine. If there be anything
in the great principle which we have
made the cornerstone of our institu
tions, and if logic be logic, then we have
the sublime paradox that when a news
paper is most mercenary, it is most 8
moral engine.
The moral attributes of the daily news
papers, and the high moral tone of the
public that reads the daily newspaper
are an exhaustless theme for an enthusi
astic journalist; but there are limits t.
the patience of an audience. Knowinj
as we now do, that all creation is pro
cess of development, we cannot suppos
the progress of anything has ceased
though it be a moral engine. Ever,
time has its good time coming. Next t.
the satisfaction we take in lamentin
our steady degeneracy, is that which W
take in predicting the coming elevation
which we are not to enjoy. We fondl
speculate on what the coming man vii
do in that perfected environment, whel
he shall have nc. evil to combat We ar
not permitted to doubt that the newsps
per will keep pace with all other mora
1aua10rpoanf