The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-04-26
THE PULPIT AND THE PRESS.

The other day good many of the
ministers of Chicago met to consider
the moral conditions of society, and
to suggest remedies for its improve
ment. Having already exerted them
selves towards this very end with all |
their ability, they were naturally at
sea when contemplating more
searching cruise against evil, and
then their attention was turned to |
the press, and conference with the
editors was proposed. The idea |
was that the newspapers should
give incomplete information to
the people, not depict society
in it's true light, but hide from
public gaze its deformities and let
the world go uniformed as to ex-
cesses hurtful to morality. DR.. Ken
nard objected to the proposed confer
ence, and said:
"There was little doubt that the ed
itoTs of the papers generally would be
glad to do anything that would be
conducive to the Improvement of
public morals; that the papers were
the mirror in which was reflected the
condition of morality; that it was the
business of the ministers to so i'm
prove morality that the papers would
have something better to reflect, and
they would find that they would not
be slow to follow. If the ministers,
he said, attempted to dictate to the
press what they should publish and
what they should not, they would
simply succeed in placing themselves
in ridiculous position and accom-
plish nothing. The newspapers, he
said, were the voice of the people,
and were compelled to cater to their
interests. If the public demanded
| 'senSatiOnalism,' or even scan
pal the papers would be obliged to
publish il, in order to make the paper
popular, and give the public what
they wanted and what they paid for.
Their interests was to large extent
different from the pulpit, and he
didn't see any good that would arise
in interfering with the press for
representing things as they were;
rather let them try to alter the condl-
ton, and the press would support
them"
The doctors suggestions were cei-
tainly we'll founded, but his reference
to scandals" and "sensationalism"
were improper, for the circulation Of
these things belong by no means to the
whole press. Many papers eschew
such publications and others publish
them for the sake of neutralizing ten
dences of dangerous immoral
character. The fewest papers use
such matter for purely sensational
purposes. In paragraph in this
paper will be found reference to a
social occurrence in Connecticut, in
which a woman in high life figures,
and the STATEsMAN's object in giving
even slight reference to scandalous
matters is to warn persons against the
evil tendencies of waywardness in
girls. But, as has been said, the pro-
fession of journalism and that of the
minister runs on parallel lines, but
are often wide apart-the former be-
ing almost entirely absorbed in the
things of time, while the latter is
more or less engrossed with that
which relates to both time and eter-
nifty. The editor finds his hands
so full in dealing with the world
that now is, that he has really
very little time to speculate
about that which is to come. The
good editor would be a moralist and
a philosopher if he had the time, but
in the hurry and confusion of pub
fishing a daily paper he must of ne
cessity "shoot folly as it flies" off
hand, and it is no wonder that he
sometimes misses the mark. The
minister shoots at a rest, and at long
range, and consequently his hand is
steadier and his aim truer than the
journalists, but he seldom bags as
much game. AS worthy cotempo-
rary says, it is not to be denied that
the perverted taste of many of the
people who buy and read newspapers
is more or less responsible for the
character of what they purchase.
The conductors of The press are, as
rule, not engaged in grand moral-re-
form enterprise, the prime object OF
which is to make mankind better, but
in a purely business transaction tc
obtain an honest livelihood. They
have their fingers constantly on the
public pulse and are quick to observe
the drift of public sentiment. 1t is
not strange, therefore, if they often
do as the merchant does-furnish
their customers with the kind OF
goods they want and are willing to
pay for. Yet, in the face of this dis
couraging fact, no conscientious edi-
tor should so far forget his duty to
the public as not to be constantly
aiming to educate and elevate the tone
of public sentiment through the po-
tent agency that is under his control.
The press and the pulpit are two
of the mightiest factors in our rapid
ly-advancing civilization, and the
weight of their great influence should
ever be found on the side of morality,
justice and good government.