The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-11
The Daily Press
and The Clergy
From the Washington Post,

From the Washington Post.
1t is very serious charge that the Chi
cago Interior, "a religious journal of high
standing and wide influence, brings
against the newspapers of the United
States when it says that "the press is
steadily and Systematically unfair TO the
clergy" We need not consider any por-
ton of the vast and varied mass of cur
rent literature embraced i'm "the press
except the daily papers. To assert that
they are in conspiracy against the
clergy, for that is what the accusation
amounts to, is to use words with less
discrimination than would reasonably be
expected of any fair publication. Such
wholesale ondemnation-putting all the
newspapers, as various in character as
the interests to which they cater, into one
class, and drawing black mark across
its facets not. we respectfully submit.
good example of Christian charity. TO
follow that example would certainly not
improve the morals or manners OF the
secular press.
1t may be that there are some newspa-
pcrs, although we cannot give the name
of single one of them, that are "habitu-
ally unfair to the clergy" 1t may be
that some newspapers are too willing to
print sensational reports about some
members of the clerical profession, too
ready to give currency to clerical scan
dals. But, supposing all that to be true,
| it falls far short of justifying the In
| teriors indiscriminate charge. The fact
| that a clerical scandal creates n greater
sensation than almost any other news
| item is really creditable to the clergy.
The one man in Il village or hamlet who
cannot go astray without becoming
| shamefully notorious is the preacher.
Acts that are peccadilloeS when commit
| ted by his neighbors are regarded as
| crimes when he commits them. The cler-
gy are expected to set an example for
| the honest morality, and the fact that
| clerical scandals do not often happen
shows that this high expectation is gen.
orally fulfilled. Were it otherwise, the
misdeeds of preachers would have no
| special value as news for any paper.
| o
If the Chicago Interior had given more
| thoughtful attention to the subject on
| which ii discourses so carelessly 1t would
have seen that the reputable newspapers
of the United States do not, either indi-
| vidually or collectively, make war on
| any class or profession. We can think
of no course better calculated to bring
| a newspaper into disrepute, break down
its character destroy its influence, and
| thus wreck its financial fortunes, than
that which the Interior charges "the
| press of the country with following. AS
| n rule the relations between the press
| and the pulpit are amicable, as they GER
tainly ought to be, for they have no con-
| flictinS interests. In many cities there is
cordial cooperation between these great
| forces. The preachers have begun to re-
alize that good newspaper is the best
channel of communication If they desire
| to reach great audiences. Not only ser.
mons and extracts from sermons, but
other religious matter of many kinds, Is
welcomed to the columns of the daily
papers The press is an ever-ready help
er of the pulpit. enlarging the sphere OF
its influence and increasing to an meal.
culable extent the results of it's work. A:
an illustration of this cooperative eff.
fort, take the relations of the daily pres!
with the Young Mems Christian associa
tion, the Christian Endeavor society, anC
similar organizations of young people
Have not the daily papers contributed
as much as any other agency toward tn,
upbuilding of these associations? TIL,
fact is, as the Chicago Interior ough
to know that the daily press is tn,
preachers best friend, his readiest anC
| ableSt helper