Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-20
8 90 81 90 8
THE SHELDON VENTURE.
sheldon's BIasphemous Experiment.
THE THEORETICAL SIDE.
Chicago Times-HeraId-l

Sheldon's Biasphemous Experiment.
Chicago Times-Herald)
Thou shalt not take the name OF the Lord
thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh His name in vain
Charles NJ. Sheldon has concluded
his engagement to edit the Topeka
| Daily Capital for one week las dis
tinctly Christian daily, applying to
all questions arising in its publication
the invariable touchstone''Wha would
Jesus do?;' In retiring from his edi-
torship he invites opinions as to the
success of his venture, which is the
Times excuse for breaking
1.-The habit of silence" it had Guilt
| waited on this subject.
That the venture has been success
full financially was foregone conclu-
sion from the day in December when
its prospectus was sprung on the
public, which has not changed since
the multitude went out to see "a reed
shaken with the wind" In these days
the whole world is ever on tip-toe
'.either to. tell or hear some new
thing" and the experiment of putting
| new wine into old bottles has not lost
its perennial charm of novelty.
But with the grateful clink of the
gold in the Daily Capital till and the
| broad advertisement of Charles Nj.
Sheldon throughout Christendom, the
success of the venture ends where it
| began in arrogant, self-sufficient bias
phemv.
AS an experiment of what an am BIZ
tious, upright christian amateur
might do if the agencies OF daily
newspaper were placed at his dispo-
sal, the venture of Mr.. Sheldon may
be interesting as a warning to all
tempted to follow in his steps. 1t
has merely demonstrated that preach
ers should stick to their pulpits, evan
gelists to their stats and editors to
their chairs.
We have no quarrel with Mr.. Shell
don for his attempt to run a christian
newspaper. That is what every hon.
est. self-respecting christian editor
in America today is endeavoring to do
according to his light and ability
amid the limitations of his environ
ments. He remembers that Christ
came eating and drinking, that He
wept with those who wept and re-
joiced with them that did rejoice.
In our reading of the gospels,
Christ's whole life was one prolonged
remonstrance against the scribes,
pharisees and hypocrites. Nothing
that He did on earth was for His own
gain or fame, but was done for the
glory of God. He enunciated some
principles that are as true as they are
trite to this day:
Where the treasure is there will
the heart be also"
"Ye cannot serve God and Nam
mon.'
beware of false prophets"
Every good tree bringeth forth
good fruit; but corrupt tree bring
eth forth evil fruit
Except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and pharisees we shall in no case ,en-
ter into the kingdom of heaven" And
many more like unto these that
haunt the memory if they do not
guide the steps.
1t was in presuming to edit daily
newspaper as Christ would edit one
were He on earth that Mr.. Sheldon
exposed himself to the charge of
blasphemy, of which he could only be
acquitted by performing miracle.
What has he performed? Has his
promise of a regenerated newspaper
been fulfilled? With a mortal blue
pencil he has edited a newspaper for
the suppression of news. Bldden by
his Master to let the light shine into
dark places, he has hidden the lamp
of truth under a small basket.
Those who have looked to Sheldon's
Daily Capital for evidences of divine
guidance in it's conduct have seen only
the traces of mans presumption.
Where men asked for news does any one
believe that Christ would have given
them a sermon out of last years bar
rel? For bread from the tree of knowl-
edge would He have given them
stone?
And what shall he said of the alver-
tisements? DO our readers suppose
He, whose name it is almost blasphe-
nous to speak in such connection.
would have strained at corset and
swallowed half page advertisement
of patent above competition stay?
Would He have given circulation to
such patent lie, since nothing under
heaven is "above competition"
The primal idea of Mr.. "Sheldon's
Edition" of the Topeka Daily Capital
was blasphemous, and the trail of
blasphemy is over it's financial sue
cess. Arrogating divinity, mortality
conceived the enterprise, mortality
blazoned its announcement, mortality
guided its progress and mortality
gloats over the profits while it laughs
with Puck
l.