The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-04
THE CATHOLIC PRESS.

The press is most powerful engin,
for the uplifting and battering of peo
pie. 1t is ever enlightening, Away.
confirming grand truths, ever baptiz
ing infant peoples and always new.
Leo XIII has said that good Cath
Ole newspaper is a perpetual mission
and indeed there can be little doubt
of it.
While it may be true that the growth
and influence of the Catholic press
have not Kept pace with that of the
secular press, it cannot be gainsaid
! that it is fast winning it's way into pop
ular favor, and today it is welding a
most powerful influence over popular
opinion. 1t is the desire of the church
that the Catholic press should be fos-
| tered. She looks upon no factor for
good as too mean or trivial to further
her design, and the attention which she
has given to the religious newspapers.
through the Popes, prelates and dis
tinguished writers, as well as through
the solemn councils, is an evidence of
the great Importance which this all
powerful church attaches to the reIig-
ious press as a potent agent in leading
into correct channels the modern
growth and civilization of the world
The Catholic newspaper has had
much to contend with In almost ev-
cry instance the lack of capital makes
it impossible for the Catholic publisher
to present the news, either as attrac-
lively or as fully as his secular rival.
and the consequence is that the COM
parison is often very unflattering to the
Catholic paper.
The day has gone by when men
should be expected to support any en-
terprise because of sentiment. The
Intermountain Catholic realizes this
and understands that in order to be
successful it must have a broader con-
ception of the needs of it's readers.
Catholic newspapers heretofore have
not made as rapid progress as they
should, because they have sought only
to edify, and not in any degree to en-
terrain and please.
Catholic readers, to be sure, desire a
reasonable amount of Catholic and ma
tional news. Nevertheless, they expect
their Catholic paper to present the
more comprehensive resume of current
affairs. and in case it does not do so.
a secular paper generally supplants it.
If our Catholic papers have not sue
ceeded among Catholic people as well
as secular papers, the fault seems to
De that Catholic literature has been
given to the readers of Catholic papers
10 the almost utter exclusion of things
If general interest. Catholic editors |
ire not inferior in intellectual equip
nent to the editors of the secular /
press Quite the contrary. Some of the |
'ery ablest writer's of the country adorn
he pages of Catholic publications to- |
lay. There are names connected with |
he Catholic press which shine resplen-
lent in story and in song. in church
md in state, in history and philosophy.
n diplomacy and in theology; in fact.
n every walk of life However, not
the transcendent ability
f these men, it cannot be claimed that
p to the present an ideal Catholic pa
er has been produced.
The Intermountain Catholic believes
hat the ideal Catholic paper will be
he one which will recognize actual.
xisting conditions, and not ignore them
the preferment of everything Cath
lie.
The Catholic paper will not, of course,
with error or false doc
Inc but why should it not deal with
verything of interest to the human
lind. Nothing which relates to man