The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-04-20
DHNOUNCING THE PRESS.


ed to be the most powerful factor in
the world by the side of the name of
Christ's betrayer. The editor OF this
paper ATTENDED his church and heard
this lecture which, he regrets to say,
was in his opinion, weak in argument
and founded upon wrong concep-
tions.
The reverend gentleman is incor-
rect in conceiving the daily press as
a teacher merely, or as moralist
merely. 1t is both Of these incident
ally and to large degree purposely.
Primarily the daily press is history
of each days life, and it is. undoubt-
eddy true that many things print
ed therein are distasteful TO the
cwner or editor. The Bible itself IS
largely history, hut we think that DR..
Brcughton doesn't condemn that
Holy Book because it contains &C
counts OF murder, slaughter, false
witness, IasciviOusness, robbery, ~
ing, and the like.
Qr~f3r0ugnt0 ION arraigned me press
as being corrupt and degrading. lie
added: Il believe that every one OF
YOU will believe that am correct.
For our part we believe there were
many who felt proud to believe the
contrary; it would be pitiable if they
all believed as the pastor, for moth
ing could be more terrible than that
a power greater than the church ito
use the doctors own Words was per-
verted from its noblest aims.
The reverend gentleman was GER
tainIv weak in his argument. What
witnesses did he produce? One man
who said, Il am paid $50 week to
keep honest opinions out of the
paper Is it this dishonest man
that the doctor calls before his con-
gregation as witness? Does he
really desire that his own flock
should believe such fraud? Must
he condemn the press ofthe world On
the testimony of the editor of one
corrupt paper? Moreover, who was
this editor? Was he a man worthy
to be believed? What was his name?
and is he known to be a truthful
man?
The press was charged with pub
fishing accounts Of murders and OF
scandals. We venture to say that II
one of DR.. Broughton's friends or
fellow-worshippers had been deprived
of life be would be anxious to learn
all the particulars concerning the
the fate of his friend. So far as
scandal is concerned, the best news
papers print as little as possible.
DR.. Broughton told story of an
editor who found upon his desk a
letter enclosing a check for $500
in payment of some abuse to be
heaped upon some other man. We
don't believe that the doctor got
that story from reliable sources. 1t
is not credible; blackguards don't do
business that way.
Another statement was made
against an editor who published an
article com nending a circus. The
article advised that every body
should see the show. There is moth
ing wrong in that. Any innocent
boy who liked the circus-and all
boys do-would have said just such
a thing. The reverend gentleman
said the editor got 500 for it. This
must be mistake, for we are suffici.
emily familiar with advertising rates
in North Carolina to know that such
advertising rates are not charged or
paid.
The editor helps advertisers to tell
lies, says Dr.. Broughton. That's a
peculiar charge. Ifa man adyertises
that he has the best Java coffee in
Winston, he may be telling the truth
or he may not. The editor of a
paper is not and cannot be the edi-
tor and guarantor of his advertise
ments The editor ofthis paper can
not tell Java coffee when he sees it,
nor does he know if there is a pound
of it in the whole State. but If a
reputable merchant advertises Java
coffee for sale he may do it in the
columns of The SENTINEL without
danger of being called liar.
The doctor amused himself by tell
ing how man made very power
full speech and felt certain That every
nearer was convinced, when, as it
came out, everybody in the audience
rose to declare the opposite. We
submit that it could not have been a
very powerful speech And if the
speaker himself beca me converted by
his audience we must say he was a
very weak man. We look upon the
story as absurd.
We wish to place one statement
against all the remarks of DIR.
Broughton. The New York Times
exposed the Tweed Ring and brought
the old scoundrel and his gang to
justice. The Times refused bride
of upwards of a million dollars if it
would only keep silence. Has DR..
Broughton no word of commenda-
ton for the press in the face of such
q statement as that? And is not
that one statement worth all of his