The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-05-18
FAITH IN THE PRESS.
The ST. Paul Evening Post:

The st. Paul Evening Post:
Rev. w. l.. Beattie, of Mankato, is
man who takes very sensible view
of the mission of a daily newspaper
On Sunday night he preached a SER
mon at the Westminster Presbyterian
church which is on altogether differ
ent lines from those pursued by a ma
jority of the clergy.
The subject treated by Rev. Beattie
was can Old Testament Newspaper,
in which he Utilities the story of the
vision of Ezekiel, and shows him as
the prototype of the modern newspa-
per in the use the prophet made of his
vision in scattering among the cap
tive Jews in Babylon a knowledge of
the iniquities and denominations being
practiced in Jerusalem. With no
words of censure for newspaper enter
prise, Rev. Beattie continued to show
the great good done by the press in
turning the light on evil and ventilat-
ing fraudulent practices. He COM
pared the progress of today with the
conditions existent in the dark ages,
when vice was rampant and injustice
the rule, when there was no press and
when system of surveillance was
pursued in matters of every day gos-
sip.
Rev. Beattie believes that public
exposure carries with it the blasting
condemnation of public sentiment.
He cannot force himself to express
sympathy with certain public men
who point their fingers at the papers
and accuse them of spreading wicked
ness when they turn the search light
of their Investigations into the cor
ners of the earth.
''It is so easy" said Rev. Beattie,
''to pick up your morning paper and
as you see the, story of some scandal
or crime on the front page hold up
your hands in horror and eXclaim,
oh, what shame that this should be
given publication Yet you all buy
these papers and you all read them,
and what is further you forget to look
for the good to be found on the same
page. How are you going to expose
evil, or cure it, or cause it's reform,
unless you bring it to the light? L am
glad we have the press"
With these views of the eminent
Mankato pastor, few conscientious
editors of live journals will dissent.
While it is far beneath the province
of successful journalism to dissent
nate filth, the suppression OF live
news is more detrimental to the pub
lie than is the publication of too much
sensationalism. The person who buys
a newspaper has right to the best
that it's proprietors can give them in
the way of news. If it suppresses
name, details and incidents to accom-
modate private individuals, it is an
injustice done subscribers. The press
stands between the people and the
concealment of crime, suppression of
scandals in high life and the dark
| lantern work of scheming political
conspirators. 1t is it's mission to turn
on the light and point the way to cor
rection of myriads of public abuses.
The Evening Post is glad to COM
mend the brave words of Rev. Beattie,
and more than glad to know that such
sensible views can come from pulpit
which has never been inclined to view
the work of the press with less char
| ity than it has shown almost every
public institution. Rev. Beattie uses
brave words, but in doing so he
reaches the hearts and sympathies of
thousands.