The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-27

insipid- They say. ~It II shockingiy
duh tonight believe Il is one Of the
trials OF the newspaper press. that the
people OF this country demand moral
slush instead OF healthy and intellectu-
al food Now. you are a respectable
man. an Intelligent man. and n paper
comes into your hand. You open Il.
and there are three columns Of splen-
didly written editorial. recommending
some moral sentiment. OF evolving
some scientific theory. In the next col
umn there Is a miserable. contemplate
divorce case. Which do you read irsts
You dip into the editorial long enough
to say. We'll. that's very ably writ
ten." and you read the divorce case
from the long primer" type at the top
TO the "nonpareil" type At the bottom.
and then you ask your wife II she
has read IT. oh. Il Is only a case OF
supply and demandi Newspaper men
are not fools. They know what you
want, and they give IL TO you be-
lieve that ~ the church and the world
bought nothing but pure. honest.
healthful newspapers. nothing but
pure. honest and healthful newspapers
would be published. II you should
gather all the editors and the reporters
Of this country In one great conven-
ton. and ask OF them what kind OF
paper they would prefer TO publish.
believe they would unanimously say.
We would prefer to publish an elevst-
Ing paper" So long as there Is an in
III - -
iquitous supply. I make no apology
for n debauched newspaper. but 1 am
saying these things In order TO divide
the responsibility between those who
print and those who read.
Another trial OF this profession is the
fact. no one seems TO care for their
souls. They feel bitterly about Il.
though they laugh. People sometimes
laugh the loudest when they feel the
worst. They are expected to gather up
religious proceedings. and to discuss
religious doctrines in the editorial col
umns. but who expects them to be
saved by the sermons they stenograph.
or by the doctrines they discuss In the
editorial eolumns7 The world looks up
on them as professional. Who preach
es TO reporters and editors7 Some OF
them came from religious homes. and
when they left the parental roof. who
ever regarded or disregarded. they
came OF with n fathers benedictlon
and a mothers prayer. They never
think Of those good old times but tears
come into their eyes. and they move
through these great cities homesick.
Oh. II they only knew what q helpful
thing II is for a man to put his weary
head down on the bosom OF a sympa-
thetie Christ, He knows how nervous
and ured you are. He has a heart
large enough to take In all your in
teresB for this world and the next.
Oh. men OF the newspaper press. you
sometimes get sick Of this world. Il
seems so hollow and unsatisfying. IL
there are any people in all the earth
that need God. you are the men. and
you shall have him. II only this day you
implore his mercy.
A nan was found NJ the foot OF Ca
nal street. New York As they picked
him up from the water and brought
him 10 the morgue. they saw by the
contoar OF his forehead that he had
great mental capacity. He had entered
the newspaper profession. He had gone
down in health. He took 10 artificial
stimulus. He went down further and
furthe. until one summer day. hot and
hungry. and sick. and In despair. he
flung himself on the dock They found
in his pocket a reporters pad. a lead
pencil a photograph of some one who
had loved him long ago. Death. as
sometimes IL viii. smoothed out all the
wrinkles that had gathered premature
/ ly on his brow. and as he lay there his
face vas as fair as when. seven years
before. he left his country home, and
they hade him goodbye forever. The
world looked through the window OF
the morgue. and said. Its nothing but
an oucast:" but God said IL was a gI-
gantie soul that perished. because the
world gave him no chance.
Let me ask all men connected with
the printing press that they help US
more and more In the effort to make
the world better. charge you In the
name OF God. before whom you must
account for the tremendous influence
you fold IN this country. 20 consecrate
youuelyes to- higher endeavors. You
are tie men to fight back this invasion
OF earrupt literature. Lift up your
righthand and swear new allegiance 10
the Guse OF philanthropy and religion.
And when. at last. standing on the
plairs Of judgment. you look out uron
the innumbered throngs over whom
you lave had influence. may II be found
that you were amongst the mightiess
enerfies that lifted men upon the ex-
altedpathway that leads to the renown
Of heaven Better than TO have sat in
the EDITORIAL chair. from which. with
the niger Of type. you decided the des-
TIMES Of empires. but decided them
wronf that you had been some dun
geonei exile. who. by the light OF win
dow ron-grated. on scraps Of a New