Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-09-11
SEcUL4R JOURNALISM.

The power Of the press is an acknowl-
edged factcr incur modern civilization.
Whether it shall be welded for good
OF for evil is question of the utmost
Importance Shall it merely voice
public sentiment, or lead and coatlcl
itl Shall it be master or slave?
These are questions that ought arouse
and interest the general public If the
daily press is merely an echo of the III
tellectual and neral condition of the
people then it becomes us to use all
means that will improve the status of
our people. But If our secular editors
are the. leaders and manufacturers of
public opinion then it becomes our
most important duty to choose and fol
low safe leaders.
It is safeto say that tie means vf pur-
flying and uplifting The tone of the
secular press TO large extent lies with
the general public.
There are certain facts we do we'll
to remember.
We tolerate sentiments and prin-
.ciples in our daily and weekly itera-
ture that We would scorn to have di-
rectly spoken in our presence or in our
families We even pay our money for
that kind of literature that corrupGs
and poisons the minds of the young
under the gauzy pretense that we must
have the news, or that the paper rep
resents our parry, or that it is cheap.
We take up our weekly paper and
the first thing that strikes our eye is a
recommendation of new board of
whiskey, or direction to go to Mr..
Cs and test his excellent beer We
look in the news column and there we
have description cf Sunday horse
race, or a prize fight.
Divorces and murders must occupy
whole columns. Every slckening de-
tail is highly colorcd and seasoned to
suit the deprayed pe'ate.
While every scandals eagerly sought
for, and devoured as the buzzard does
the rotten carcass that has fallen BIZ the
roadside, on Tie other hand the unself-
ish attempts Of better men to elevate
socic'y must often be voluntarily and
gratuitouslv furnished with the answer
that there is no room.
This does not surprise us when the
press is controlled by men who have no
regard for Cod or man, but the re-
sponsibility lies with the patrons We
need an arousing of conscience in this
matter
It is high tine for all upright men
to spurn with righteous indignation the
corrupt newspaper that would under
mine the highest interestsof his family
An editor has no more right to print
and publish the demoralizing stuff that
often finds its way to our fresides than
he has to utter those same vile senti-
ments in our fnmily circle when oul
invited guest.
It is rather a condemnation than {
justification to say he does it for money
It only classes him with the thugs ant
fakirs of the roadside.
IF it is impossible to get pure shee
representing the party OF our applica
tions so much the worse for the party
Either the party should change to prin
ciples, or we Should change our party
But there are pure high minded editor
of the secular press (may their numbe
greatly increase) and there are reliable
newspapers if we viii take the troubl
to hunt them up. These should com
mand our support. Sooner should WI
nurse basket of rattlesnakes thai
patronize the vile sheets that pande
to the worst elements of society. Mex
TO the minister of the gospel, the Edito
should be man of sincere heart, O
clean lips, and upright life.
A secular newspaper is not reli-
gious or tempetance paper i'll the tech
nical sense, but it should not therefore
be irreligious, Incorporate, or rimmoral
1t is II farce TO suppose that as The
paper is for tie general publicit shoult
therefore echo all the phases of modern
society down to he hoodium, the rake
and baraburner. The secul3r pres.
should be looked upon as one Of tht
most powerful conservators of society
1t should be tho praise of all good men
and the shame of bad ones When i
is obliged to chlen;cle painful news o
wrong doing the shortest and simplas
way of communicating the facts is tn
best. On the other hand it should b
on the alert for everything that viii
advance the interests of society. w
look upon the pulpit and the press a
the pillars of our modern society
They each require for their creates
stability, All acute intellect, an indom
stable will, integrity of purpose, an
an active life. TIES.