Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-28


complained that newspapers report the
evil when they ought only to report the
good. They must report the evil as well
as the good, or how shall we know what
is to be reformed. what guarded against,
what fought down? \ newspaper that
pictures only the honesty and virtue of So
ciety is n misrepresentation. That fam
lily is best prepared for the duties OF life
which, knowing the evil. is taught to Sc
lect the good. Keep children under the
impression that all is fair and right in
the world. and when they go ont into it
they will be poorly prepared to struggle
with it as a child who is thrown into the
middle of the Atlantic and told TO learn
how TO swim. Our only complaint IS when
sin is made attractive and morality dull
when vice is painted with great headings
and good deeds are put in obscure corners
iniquity set up in great primer and right
eousness in nonpareil. Sin is loathsome;
make it loathSome. Virtue is beautiful;
make it beautiful.
1t would work vast improvement if
all our religious, political. literary
should for the most part drop their inn
personality. This would do better justice
to newspaper writer's. Many of the stron-
gest and best writer's of the country live
and die unknown and are denied their
just fame. The vast public never learns
who they are Most of them are on
comparatively small incomes, and after
awhile their hand forgetS its cunning.
and they are without resources. left to
die. Why not ut least have his initial at
tached TO his most important work! Il
always gave additional force to an article
when you occasionally saw added to some
significant article in the old New York
Courier and Enquirer j. w. w. or in the
Tribune II. g., or in the Herald j. q. g.,
or in the Times H. j. r.. or in the Even
ing Post w. G. T., or in the Evening Elk
press +. b.
While this arrangement would be fair
and just thing for newspaper writers it
would be defense for the public. Il is
sometimes true that things damaging 70
private character are said. Who is re-
sponsible? 1t is the "we'' of the editorial
or reportorial columns. Every man in
every profession or occupation ought to be
responsible for what he does. No hon
orabc man Will ever write that which he
would be afraid to sign. But thousands
of persons have suffered from the imper-
sonality of newspapers. What can one
private citizen wrongcd in his reputation
do in contest with misrepresentation
multiplied into 10000 or 10000 copies!
An injustice done in print is illimitably
worse than an injustice done in private
life. During loss of temper a man may
say that for which he will be sorry in ten
minutes, but Il newspaper injustice has
first to be written set up in type, then
the proof taken off and read and correct
ed, and then for six or ten hours the press
es are busy running off the issue. Plenty
of time to correct; plenty of time to cool
off: plenty of time To repent. But all that
is hidden in the impersonality of a news
paper. 1t will be a long step forward
when all is changed and newspaper writ
ers get credit for the good and are held
responsible for the evil.
Editorial Professors.
Another step forward for newspaper
dom will be when in our colleges and uni
versities we open opportunities for pre-
pairing candidates for the editorial chair.
We have in such institutions medical de-
partments, law departments. Why not
editorial departments? Do the legal and
healing professions demand more culture
and careful training than the editorial or
reportoral professions? / know men may
tumble by what seems accident into a
newspaper Office as they may tumble into
other occupations. but it would be an in
calculable advantage if those proposing n
newspaper life had an institution To which
they might go to learn the qualifications,
the responsibilities, the trials the tempta-
tons, the dangers. the magnificent oppor-
tunities, of newspaper life. Let there be
a lectureship in which there shall appear
the leading editors of the United States
telling the story of their struggles, their
victories, their mistakes, how they work
ed and what they found out to be the
best way of working. There will be strong
men who will climb up without such aid
into editorial power and efficiency. So do
men climb up to success in other branches
by sheer grit But if we want learned
institutions to make lawyers and artists
and doctors and ministers we much more
need learned institutions to make editors,
who occuply position of influence hun
too strongly when 1 say the most potent
influence for good on earth is good
editor. and the most potent influence for
enforce and improve the newspaper Is
TO endow editorial professorates. When
will Princeton or Harvard or Yale or
Rochester lead the way?
\ Christian Press.
Once more | remark that n good news
paper is blessing as an evangelistic in
flucnce. You know there is n great
change in our day taking place. All the
secular newspapers of the day-for l am
not speaking now of the religious news
papers-all the secular newspapers of tho
day discuss all the questions of God,
eternity and the dead, and all the ques-
tons of the past, present and future.
There is not n single doctrine of theology
but has been discussed in the last ten
years by the secular newspapers of the
country They gather up all the news of
all the earth bearing on religious subjects,
and then they scatter the news abroad
again The Christian newspaper will be
the right wing of the apocalyptic angel.
The cylinder of the Christianized print
ing press will be the front wheel of the
Lords chariot.