The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-13
IT YIELDS A SCEPTRE
Rev. Mr.. Goodfriend's Lecture on
"The Newspaper"
AN INFLUENCE FOR GOOD
Heroism of the Editorial Room-Men of
Brains and Nerve-An Engine
of Incalculable
Power

The newspaper is an essential factor
in the civilization of the world. The
good journal stimulates the mind it
n Yields sceptre of influence. Rev. Mr..
4 Goodfriend of the Emmanuel church
yesterday lectured on THE Newspaper"
as follows:
4 No country in the world is blessed
4 with so many intelligent readers as is
the United States. The journal, more
than any other agency, gives color and
A shape to the popular thinking of the
world. 1t yields a sceptre of influence
Z of farreaching Importance either for
Z the elevation or the degradation of men.
( Let me state at the outset that l am
7 considering the higher type of Journal
. ism, and not the blood d-thunder
T kind. l am not speaking of the press
that is given over to gossip, to lying,
Z to undermining peoples characters, to
Z police reports, to smuggling matches, and
all that sort of thing. I am speaking
of papers that have editorial opinions
favoring morality and make it their
business to condemn evil by showing
in great headlines the consequences of
VIE anu CIllle upon the lnQlNldual, the
community and the nation. l am
speaking of journals that have plenty
OF backbone to stand out in favor of
law and order, of morality and good
government.
THE greatest heroism is not always
displayed upon the field of battle. I
have seen just as high a type of hero
ism displayed by the editorial staff of
some of our leading journals in time
or great agitation, as one can see upon
the field of battle in the hottest and
thickest of the fight. Many of our
leading journals have editors and re-
porters at their helms who are not
only men of brains, but of nerve as
well. These men are the rich treasures
of society. the benefactors of the race.
1t is said by DR.. Hills that Homer
opened up a gallery in the clouds and
there unveiled Achilles as the ideal
Greek. 1t became the ambition of every
Athenian boy to fix the Had in his
mind and repeat Achilles in his heart
and life. Soon the Achilles in the sky
looked down upon 20, 600 young Achilles
walking through the streets beneath
How much more truthfully may it be
said of our newspapers that they, too,
. are creating the ideals of our youth.
and that to very large extent our
civilization is made or unmade by the
public press. Our journals furnish
the materials with which we build our
empire, our future civilization. The
press may become an engine of meal
culable power for good. While I do not
believe that journalism occupies the
: high plane for which it is destined, that
it caters too much to the masses in
their tastes and aspirations, that it's
high aim is to be popular; nevertheless,
with all it's faults. it is blessing to
society.
1T is the business of the pulpit to
become the ally, the friend, of the jour-
nal that has a lofty ambition, TO work
with it hand in hand, TO give it the
needed backing, to recognize its merits
and its great work in the cause of hui
manity. 1t is quoted as famous say
ing from one of the Latin poets L am
man. and nothing that is human Is
indifferent to me-
Our modern journals are the best
Illustration of this great thought. They
seem to bend heaven and earth to make
their papers readable, sensa tional, taxi
ing. This they do by picturing human
life as 1t is making the devil as black
as he deserves to be. and giving due
credit to the angel for his angelic quail
tiles. Whatever is human no matter
how degrading, attracts our attention
1t shows us the possibilities of mans
free moral agency of wallowing in the
mire and filth, of sinking to the lowest
depths of hell. while with the same
powers under right training he might |
have risen to the highest heavens, The |
soul is an instrument created to pro-
duce heavenly melodies. but through
sinful Indulgence it gives forth mourn
full strains.
Our journals give us the concerns,
the doings, the thoughts, the hopes and