The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-04-29
Morals of the Newspaper
A Paper Read Before the State
Press Association by Rev. w
?. Jacobs, D. D.

The following address on 'Ine Nor
al Side Of the Newspaper, was deliver
ed before the annual meeting CT the
Press Association last week by the
Rev. Dr.. Jacobs, Of Clinton
Every paper has moral side. Some
unfortunately an immoral side always.
Occasionally it is the pateu: outside
tbat is immoral IN news notes and ads.
and sometimes the not SO patent ioside.
The writer on one occasion advertised a
horse race in his patent outside and
apologized for it ou his inside
But, after all, the question of the
morality or i'm morality Of paper cir
culates about the personality of its edi-
tors. All editors are not pious men.
Some few livery few get drunk after
the paper has gooe to press, and then
invoke all the adjectiveuess OF their
dictionaries, versus drinking in their
next issue. We know an editor, who
wrote, II was 90 jag last week I'm
sorry. The public will please excuse
the ;nperfection of our makeup that
week, as we were quite Locked up" and
so be was.
As a rule editors are the best inform
ed people in the CON munity. Unfortu
uately no man can know everything.
That accounts for the terrible mistakes
made in writing up church doings.
Preachers laugh at these things. but
the editor can't see the joke. Still the
editor might be splendid "ecclesias'i-
cal reporter, and yet not ruu moral
paper. A preacher sometimes fills a
fine pulpit, and had better not be there.
Iftbe "moral man. of tie newspaper
is always it's editor, the moral side of
newspaper must necessarily be the view
the editor takes Of all the higher inter.
ests of the community 10 which be
lives.
Now, his views on moral subjects are
very apt to be warped by several consid.
erations.
Let. His own lack OF clear-cut
inception of moral duty. A man that
lies will lie in print. A slaDderer takes
pleasure 10 ''sharp, keen. incisive vitu-
peratioo A wild. reckless editor
may write high toned discourses occa-
sionally, aping tbe goodness be has not,
but the rule will be the other way
2d. Pecuniary considerations are
often all powerful Vile ads are print
ed because they pay. The bulk of
any community is disposed to sensation
alism, and hence vile things are often
reported in full. How can man take
cleas-cut ecclesiastical views, for iu-
stance, as to Sunday editions of his
paper, if the Sunday edition is the best
paying che Of the week.
Sd. Fear often has great deal to
do with an editors work. He does not
wish to lose subscribers at any time,
and hence even the mad fury of a
lynching bee may be coudoued, or at
least not very severely dealt with. so
many patrons having a quasi cou"ec-
ton with it-not indeed that editors
are alone 10 this. They perhaps but
reflect the tone of the community.
4th. Politics largely affect the views
an editor takes on many moral qaes.
tions, notably that Of prohibition OF lis
correlativc. the dispepsary Party lash
is powerful incentive to an editor to
keep the "esraight aud narrow path of
political duty. We recently reard
Judge Cothran remark that he uever
knew a minister who became lawyer
to honor his profession, but per contra,
a lawyer who entered the ministry was
always au ornament to it. However
that may De. we eau say that religi-
Gus paper that enters the political arena
is always unreliable, but that pollti-
cal paper with strong moral and re-
ligious principles is reliable and hon.
orable power 10 the community.
Other forces. of course, operate on
the editor, as many winds on the sail,
to trim it this way and that. But a
few considerations deserve thought just
here.
l. A newspaper is the most powerful
agent in any community for good or ILL.,
The preacher only reaches the church
going, and the teacher the young. The
editors reach everybody Moreover
there is certain latent force 10 "cold
type" with mutitudes, especially of the
half-learped that nothing else has.
Who has not heard tie vulgarism. 81
seen it 10 the paper" as an end of all
argument The EDITORS tripod is the
graudest pulpit IN the universe.
Crowned heads have foaud it oeedfu to
bow before the reporters pen. Think
of Que great newspaper sending forth a
half million issues daily-its editor.
ials read probably by twice that nun.
Der of persons. So great is this power
that we venture the assertion that we're