Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-22

lions Of the Topeka Capital differed very
slightly from a number of other religious /
publications, being in effect religious
weekly published daily. This will become
evident from a comparison of it's Leading
articles with those of a great variety Of
periodicals with which the American pub
lie is familiar. II is also 90 be noted that
there are few daily newspapers of secu-
lar character that do not exclude advcr-
tiscmeuts OF an obicctonal character al
though the standards vary materially, and
if two or more ministers were to repeat
the sheldon experiment there would I'M
doubleday be a pronounced difference in
the standards OF advertising and as many
different lines of editorial policy as there
were editors
The Sheldon edition is therefore to be
considered from the journalists stand
point merely an example of sensational
ism in religious journalsm; and as such
it's interest was of the most cphcmeral
character There was an enormous de-
mand for the first numbers of the journal
owing to the general curiosity to see what
kind of a daily newspaper could be issued
by a man assuming to edit as Jesus would
edit; but before the Sheldon week was
half completed interest began to flag. In
some newspaper offices the last numbers
of the Sheldon edition were not taken
from their wrappers, and sales of the Jour-
nal experienced marked decline.
| As a piece Of sensationalism, there
fore it could not have continued to
/ Ia, nj inc
much Of the really important news of the
day ii would have no excuse for living.
M Sheldon lodged one of the most
rious problems with which the Christian
editor is forced to contend by skipping
both the Sunday and Monday issues of
the Capital and thus avoiding all sun
day work. He began his experiment with
the Tuesday number and in place of the
Sunday issue he published late edition
Saturday evening SO that he was not even
compelled to solve the question how TO get
out a Monday paper without working to
a certain extent on Sunday
From the Christian standpoint the Shot
don experiment must be regarded as OBJ
iectionable in high degree. 1t
is presumptuous in the extreme for any
man to undertake to say what Jesus
would do under present conditions in any
Fine of Christian work, much less in any
kind of business activity. But overlook
ing this feature of Mr. Sheldons newspa-
per work it is evident that the example
he has set will tend to promote a sacri-
legious tendency on the part of many real
ly good people An illustration of this
may be found in the announcement that
at a meeting of society known as the
Social Progress League, ore of the speak
crs discussed the subject: What Christ
would do if lie were elected to the Legis-
lalure.' We are likely to witness great
number of imitators of Mr.. Sheldon of
this sort and the net result must be an IN
creasins tone of Objectionable familiar y
III dealing with sacred subjects.
There are various other grounds of cri-
ticisin of Mr.. Sheldons course in announC-
ing his sensational journalistic criterion
instead OF merely proclaiming that he
was to conduct a strictly Christian news
paper to which no one could possibly have
objected; but we prefer to connne our re-
marks at this time to those results and
unwholesome influences which have all
ready made themselves manifest.
The one great good that can come from
Mir. ShcldoIts conduct of the Cap4,al is All
increasing sense Of responsibility on the
. pant OF editors generally as to the chan ac-
ter OF the matter admitted to their col
umns. This is an outcome greatly to be d.
sired, but whether or not the Sheldon cdi-
will q pI influence