The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-02-09
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The lecture Of Rabbi Joseph KrausSopf, in
Philadelphia. on the uses and abuses Of the
press has attracted wide attention, and has
caused much favorable comment for its
orioinalitv incisivaneas ond common sense
In opening his lecture. Rabbi Krauskopf de-
clared that, in many respects, the news
paper was superior to the pulpit. 1t reaches
a larger lumber Of hearers, whether for
larger good the future must determine. The
average sermon reflects the thought and
belief Of but one man, the average news
paper often reflects the thoughts, the obsor-
%vations, and the experiences of a hundred
different minds, many Of which find a reader
response in the heart of its readers than do
those Of the preacher in the heart Of his
hearers.
The speaker described somewhat face
tiously the great powers sometimes attri-
buted to the newspaper. Not content with
having wrested the laurels from the pulpit,
the newspaper sets up to be the highest
political authority in the land it creates and
moulds public opinion, and incidents are not
wanting where it has usurped the province Of
the judiciary and tried, convicted, and SEN
fenced criminals. THE press is the peoples
highest tribunal, " said DIR. Krauskopf. All
courts bow before it it discloses to the world
more delinquency than all Of them combined.
1 even believe that the editors in their chairs
check more wrong than the Judges on their
benches"
With regard to the assertion that the
newspaper and net the school is the great
est educator of the people, the lecturer re-
marked that there is no denying that the
press is one Of the mightiest Of educative
forces. To countless thousands it has been
and is the only school, and many a student
with high-sounding title has learned more
from his daily newspaper than at his Alma
Mater. The morning or evening paper is
che whole library of people it is the only
book they can read or care to read. But
for it thousands who now read, and take
pleasure in reading, would sink back into
the darkness and ignorance of former times.
And whether there have not been thousands
who have been discouraged by it from becom-
ing better read and better educated men and
women is a point shat also must be con-
sidered. The acknowledgment that much of
the claim Of the newspaper TO superiority
over pulpit, government, Judiciary, and
school, means that I'VE have in our midst a
power so gigantic, so allembracing, so all
penetrating, that not all the ages in all the
past possessed anything even approxima-
lively like it. There has never been a King,
a tyraut, an institution, as powerful as the
press'
Have we anything to fear from our news
paper press is the question, and the rabbi
answered it: 1--WE have nothing, absolutely
nothing, to fear so long as it keeps within its
own honorable, legitimate sphere, as many Of
the journals Of our land do. But we have
everything to fear from it our rights and
liberties, our faith and hopes, our schools and
churches, our homes and industries, all arc
in danger when the press uses it's giant power
giantlike when, to satisfy its craving, it
lends its ears to scandals, c~orruptions, in
fdelities, and its pen to graphic portrayals of
them, and reyels i'm them and gloats over
them with such satanic glee that it corrupts
the very heart Of society, undermines the
very pillars Of religion, destroys our very
faith i'm right and Justice, blights our con-
flence, our sanctities, our reverence, every
thing that safeguards and uplifts eociety."
In closing his lecture the rabbi declared
that, Judging from the daily amount Of
social sewage that is allowed to stream in
opon sight, through the newspaper, one is
often tempted to believe that newspaper
proprietors must think that people commit
crime solely for the purpose Of filling the
columns Of the press. Would that the
awakening Of the newspaper press might
come before the waning Of its power and
influence"