The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-13
PULPIT and PRESS.
Rev. DR.. Westa1l Says One
is as Silly as the
Other.


the Good Shepherd delive red a discourse
in his church last evening on 1.-THE News
paper" Among other things, MI. West
all said:-
sThe first American newspaper was
printed in Boston about 200 years ago,
but 1t had hardly seen the light OF day be-
fore the arm of civil authority was evoked
to Suppress it. 1t was suppressed be cause.
as the Governor of the Common wealth
said, it contained retie ctions of a very
high nature; although. as O matter OF
fact, it undertook nothing more ambi-
ttous than publishing a few Items of cur
rent news. Those were dark days for
journalism: but, as the darkest hour ia
often just before dawn. SO a brighter day
was coming on apace. The pen was to
prove its superiority over the sword. ever
as Il weapon of warfare. A free press
therefore, Is one Of the latest achieve
ments of civilization.
s'When we come to looK q little more
closely at our subject, we note one I'M
portant change. Originally, the newspa-
per, as its name implies. confined ltselr
solely TO the publication of news. 1t un-
dertook nothing answering to our editor
lAl OE lSaNoI, Oub AO AO WoPGPSA ~ SONS
not only publishes news. but isseminases
opinions. In both these respects IL Is open
to criticism. In the frat place, 1t Is often
untrustwortby as "a dissemination OF news.
THE EDIToR A SPECIAL ADVOCATE.
"The editor or proprietor when COM
mitted, as he is usually Ia, to the advocacy
Of certain opinions. is apt to publish only
such items as favor his side, while the
army Of reporters and correspondents. to
whom is Entrusted the business of col
lecting and arranging news, are apt 10
twist and color facts 80 that they Will COM
port with the opinion OF the editor OF
proprietor.
"Here is DR.. Johnson's facetious de-
scriptiou of an enterp rising news writer:
San Ambassador Is q man of virtue sent
abroad to tell lies for the advantage OF
his country; @ news writer Is a man who
writes lies at home for his own profit
Who does not know that the interesting
letter by Our Special Correspondent
supporting to have been written from
some foreign country, often originate s IN
the editors sanctum? Neither does the
newspaper always show proper diserimin-
alton In the selection of news, even when
that news is true. The publication OF the
famous Tiltou-Beecher trial, with all It's
indecent details, did immense harm to the
cause or public morals.
So. too. the publication of the alleged
CalniOallStu VI OuI AItlC hClVOS wac ooAo-
grace TO journalism. Even il it were
time that those poor fellows, maddened
by hunger ate the flesh of their dead COM
rades what good was accomplished by
spreading the fact broadcast over tn 9
landf There Is enough of what has been
called backdoor journalism, Journalism
which creates and feeds q morbid appe-
title, corrupts the morals OF the young
and undoes during the week all that the
minister of Jesus Christ tries TO do on
Sunday. By all means, expose crime and
vice but to do this it is not necessary to
drag the gutter and turn the brochel In
side out.
NEWSPAPERS UNTRUSTw0RTHY.
"In the second place the newspaper is
often untrustworthy as the dissemination
of opinions Strictly speaking. there Is
no such thing as independent journalism,
and under the present condition OF our
poiitical system, we ought not perhaps
TO expect it. Nearly all our newspapers
are organs of some party or faction. AS
a rule, they can zee but n side OF a
question, and their energy is spent in the
effort to prejudice the public mind against
The other side. 1t is Inevitable that
parties should exist, and that they should
have orgapsto represent mi expound their
principles. 1t is the party spirit that we
have to depiore and deprecate the spirit
which can see no good in anything except
It's own.
sEnough of criticisml Whatever stric-
lures are made here upon the newspaper
are those of a friend, not an enemy. No
institution, however useful or good, full
fills our idea. The pulpit is often as silly
and sensational as the press and quite as
deserving of~cenSure. / am as grateful to
the Journalist for showing me the faults
of my profession as he should be to me
for trying to show him the faults of his.
"The newspaper ILLS a large place in our
modern life. Poor as it sometimes is. it
is never SO Door rs the common
talk. II is always trying to say
something high, true and generous. 1t
furnishes US with q great deal of valuable
information which we could not obtain
from any other source. Any man who
reads one of our fret class dailies is
pretty well informed as regards politics,
trade, and even religion. If he
reads nothing else. The newspaper has
done much, not only for the enlighten-
ment of the masses, but also for the pro-
motion of human brotherhood. 1t has
helped to break down tine walls of separa-
ton etwee the people of different
~nationalitles, and brin g us all to see that
the needy man every where Is our brother.
Through its instrumentality, chiefly, we
behold Ireland, Italy aud France In their
long struggle for Justice and liberty
stretching out their hands to u.s."
WORKERS FOR TEMPERANCE.
-. ~ TT Al. N~---