The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-12-07
THE MORALITY OF THE PRESS.
REV. WILLIAM GEORGE TRowER.

lana ana Dan rfhuClScO spoke nom
their various pulpits, on the evils of
the press. Most of them discussed
the subject in an entertaining and in
telhgent way From the various SER
mons gather the following sugges-
tons concerning the morality Of the
press:
The newspaper is the book of the
multitude, the literature of the people.
1t is the slave of public opinion, and
prints what people demand. Napoleon
said, II fear the newspapers more
than 100000 men," and then Napo-
leon in league with Great Britain,
suppressed an obscure English jour
nalist, working for guinea a week,
but that journalist was Samuel Taylor
Coleridge. There are multitudes who
read no other literature; it is the only
university they attend. 1t shapes
their opinions on all matters social,
political, economical and religious. Ii
lays open iniquity. Sin thrives best
under cover, it can stand ANYTHING
but exposure. The fear of inevitable
publicity causes man to withhold
his hand for evil; it causes men to be
guarded both in speech and conduct.
As man is likely to think twice before
making extravaganza statements, if he
knows that his words are to be sifted
and weighed and tried before the
bar of the public press. In this way
the newspaper is the ally and cham
pion of truth. The newspaper awak-
ems thought and discussion, and this,
with the clash of opinion, is like a
storm which clarifies the atmosphere.
Another praiseWCrthy feature of the
press is, that it disseminates q vast
deal of religious truth and knowledge.
AS moral power the newspaper is
very gre t. While the American news
paper has many defects and there are
many intolerable exceptions, vet the
predominating influence of the news
paper is beneficial and improving. It
is great moral detective; the evil
doer has reason to fear it. It deters
thousands from acts they might other
wise commit, and saves other thous-
ands from. becoming the prey of vii
lalny. The newspaper let's daylight
into the darkest recesses OF our mod
ern life, and vice shrinks from it's
blazing illumination.
While it is true that the press is, on
the Who'e, a power for good, vet the
more casual readers must recogni; g
the evils of many of our papers.
There is much sensational journalism
which depraves the public taste. Vile
things must be reported sometimes,
but they need not be spread out to
I'LL columns. Many papers are so
narrowly partisan. that they SANDER
their opponents without the least hes
itation. Certainly the press is to
blame for pandering to the low tastes
of the public. While every noble
minded man dislikes the paper that
publishes such sensational, vile, re-
pugnant material, they do not recog-
nlze that to some degree he is 1espon-
sible for this state of affairs. AneWs-
paper is published for subscribers,
and as long as subscribers pay for and
encourage the enterprise just so long
will the paper publish sensational
matter. But let every good man re-
fuse to patronize such a paper, and
| the editor will soon learn the cause
and act accordingly. A newspaper IS
not run for the mental exercise, but
for cash.
Let every christian man apply him
self to practical reform on this line.
Let the church inaugurate a determ-
ined campaign against crime and pov-
erty, against vileness and bribery.
Let her grapple with the weighty
problems of the hour and seek their
solution in the spirit of the Gospel,
which is spirit of unselishness, and
the press of the country will joyfully
cooperate.
| Would you reform the press, then
begin with the newspaper you admit
into your house. At least half the
blame for the evils of the press should
be laid at the door of the public.
Don't try to drive this influence away
from the church and her various
agencies for good-but make them
allies of the church, in extending the
kingdom and in elevating mankind.
The press is powerful agency for
good or evil. Let those who bear the
interest of humanity at heart encour-
age papers that publish moral things,
and refuse to patronize such news
papers as publish the immoral and
the sensational to please the morb d
taste OF the public. Much is pub
lished that is of no value; much is
given the public that lowers their
tastes. On the other hand the D. ess
is a power for morality-a terror to
evil .doers-a great reform agency.
When the balance is struck, the sa-
gacity, the integrity and kindly pur-
pose of the publishers and editors of
the American newspaper far outweigh
the evil done by many reprobates in
| the profession.