St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-24
THE PULPIT AND THE PRESS.
The Congregational Club Discusses Jour
naliSm.

The Congregational Club Discusses Jour.
nalism.
There was quite large gathering of people
and talent at the Park Congregational church
last evening, it being the monthly meeting
of the Congregational club of Minnesota
The meeting was to discuss newspapers, and
the opinions and estimates of the power anc
workings of the press we're numerous and
comprehensive DR.. Hutchins of the
Plymouth church, Minneapolis, afteI
calling the meeting to order
asked Prof George Huntington of Carleton
college to rise and open the discussion. H(
had his speech on paper, from which he reat
| of the relation of the newspapers to the
general culture and its connection with The
intelligence of the age, and its other peculiar
Intellectual characteristics. How well-edited
newspaper has the power to civiize and other
wise benefit the people and country.
MR.. ALBERT SHAW,
Minneapolis journalist, gave some inter
estng information about newspapers. He
spoke of the responsible position of an editor
and how it was his duty TO make his opinion
as general as possible with the sentiment OF
| conscienti ously.
DR.. Norman Seaver of Syracuse, n. Y E,
was called on, and expressed mis- surprise at
the development of the Northwest and es-
pecially the two cities, st. Paul and Mime
| apolis. His speech was generally complf-
mentary to the newspaper organ, aeknowl-
edging the necessity of q reliable news
medium.
| REV. Z. s. WILLIAMS
of Minneapolis was the next on the floor, and
spoke on the sagacous and inevitable re-
porters. He said his intercourse with them was
always ola pleasant nature, and whenever he
found an opportunity to speak with reporter,
an interchange of intelligence was always
made. He had yet to meet the reporter who
was offensive or disagreeabe, always finding
them good-natured and disposed to help on
| good causes. The reporter was also great
help to the church to an exceed
| ing measure, and it would be al
most an impossibility for a sacred
or any other institution to get along without
them.
GEN. \. b. NETTLEToN
! Of Minneapolis, an eX-journalst spoke OF
| the paper as business organ, which was car
| ried on the same as the grocery or any other
business. 1t was his opinion that newspaper
men were not classified where they should
be, and that they were not appreciated by
the public as they should be. They lead the
public opinion. A paper should not be judged
by an improper paragraph in its
columns, for, mo matter how
thoroughly trained a managing editor
is, something will slip in the paper some
times without his knowledge. He spoke al
length on the great judgment exercised in
an editor in presenting matter before thous
ands of critics. He also said that the press
generally improved as fast as the community
! progressed.
| DIR. DANA
of Plymouth church, St. Paul, thought the
| opinion of the speakers was too one-sided
and believed himself that the newspapers
were faulty as any other business institution
| He said he did not refer to the st. Pau
papers, for they were free from any criticism
being the best papers in the world. This
was shown by their quarrels with theaMinne
apolis papers. He thought that the abuse
given each other in their editorial columns
was unjournalistic and unprofessional
| Americans are not controlled By the news
papers, but by the news they contain. HI
noted the mpOrtance of having writers on :
paper entirely independent, and not write
one sided whichever way money wants
| them to.
REV. D. VI. WILLIAMS
of Mortified thought that great fault of the
newspapers was in throwing a lot of trash
on the public to be read without proper edit
ing. He did not want to know if man
| fell off a haystack on Coney island, or of a
man being kicked by mule at Sing Sing
Such news was dispensible and of this sort
the newspapers had a perfect deluge every
| day. He also did not believe that the papers
should send reporters to get statements from
a prisoner behind the bars. A criminal has
nothing to do with the public
and any speech he might make could not be
| relied on. He thought an editor should
write without limitation, and put himself as
a standard whom everyone would want
| to file around. An editorial had a great
! influence over him. and if the man who wrot e
such an article had spoken the opinion to him
be would say o, pshaw This brought down
| the house, and Albert Shaw blushed a deer
carminc. Mr.. Williams, noticing his agita-
ton, apologized declaring be did not mean
| to take his name In vain, and then took his
seat.
| A resolution was offered by Dr.. Dana in
| behalf Of an appeal to the Legislature to pass
| the high license bill. and another that the
| personalities appearing in the columns Of
the papers Of both st. Paul and Minneapolis
were not in meeting with the intimate feel
| ing that existed and was growing between
The people of the two cities. Both resolu-
tons were adopted and the meeting then
adjourned TO meet at Minneapolis next
month.