The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-30
AS To SHELDON
A Subscriber Discusses
His Paper.
The Advertiser Comes in for Some
Pleasant References "A
Clean Daily.

Editor Advertiser. The Sheldon IN
dertaking, although the list OF sub
scribers TO the Topeka Capital has ris-
en- 20 the numerical hight IL reached,
still II is quite probable that the mass
OF judgment passed upon Mr.. Sheldon ;
experiment, and its outcome. will Dc
based more upon newspaper reports OF
the experiment than upon copies OF the
Capital itself, for the week in which
Mr.. Sheldon occupied its editorial
chair. The diversity OF opinion will
be all the greater because of the dis
crepancy that seems TO exist between
that which Mr.. Sheldon has really IN
dertaken TO do and that which he is
represented as undertaking 20 do. BY
his book, In His Steps," he put be-
fore the public mind what he believed
would be the practical working out OF
a great principle. viz, to perform any
undertaking as Christ would have the
individual undertaking it perform it.
We all recognize the fact that the ac-
complishment OF such would revolu-
tionize the world.
Now IL has been publicly stated that
the Topeka Capital was under Mr..
Sheldon to be managed on the lines
suggested in I'm His Steps" Mr.. Shell
don himself says: Last December the
Topeka Daily Capital asked me TO as
sumo charge of the paper for one week
and edit IL as a distinctively Christian
daily" And yet the newspapers. in re-
ferring 70 the undertaking, almost in
variably mention il as an experiment
Of running the Capital for a week as
Jesus would" or as conducting a news
paper as Christ would edit it, were He
on earth. The one statement repre-
sents Mr.. Sheldon undertaking TO do
that which is always legitimate for any
representative to do, viz, act in what
he believes to be full harmony with
the parsonage to be represented. The
second represents Mr. Sheldon acting
as the Christ himself would act, thus
seeming to substitute the human for
the Divine. We hold this position to
be a false one and unjust to Mr.. Shell
don, as well as to the real work he has
nobly and fearlessly undertaken TO do.
Mr.. Sheldon in the role of an editor
s an illiterate or unlearned man.
Nineteen centuries ago the Man, Christ
Jesus, demonstrated His ability to use
what the world called illiterate or I'M
learned men to inaugurate a work
which he designed to be perpetuating
and perpetual. With every century
that has interviewed it has grown stron-
ger, more widespread and more power
full. AS a reigning King today, though
unseen, He is not less able to utilize
instrumentalities that the world may
denominate weak, for mighty efforts,
and Mr.. Sheldon's confidence in such
power, and his noble willingness to
step forward when called, to test and
vindicate a principle, is indeed praise
worthy. OF course, as Is well known,
love Of money" said TO be the root
OF evil" was uppermost in the projec-
tors mind. No wonder, therefore, that
later developments show the stockhold
ers of the Capital TO be in a divided
state and seen staring a probable law
suit in the face. But we think of Mr..
Sheldon as serene" "repelIing every
thought of discomfort, self-seeking and
anxiety" cheerful in the conscious
ness of having made a vigorous effort
TO do what he thought duty, and we
believe his manifest reward will be an
elevation Of the standard of daily news
papers all over the land. Even though
there will be unseen forces continuing
to pour forth vile stuff, greedily devour-
ed by depraved tastes. AS regards our
focal dailies, we believe Mr.. S. f. Bish-
op voiced the general sentiment IN the
community when he said that Homo
lulu papers, comparatively speaking,
are very much higher than the aver
age" Let us make a comparison, how
ever, with Mr.. Sheldon's idea before
us. Take, for instance, this mornings
Advertiser March 2Sth): First, on
page /, comes professional cards, a
convenience to the public and a pro-
| fessional necessity. Then follows the
reading matter. News" according to
Mr.. Sheldon's idea, lis anything in the
way OF current events that the public
ought to know for its moral and spirit
ual development. This, of course, is
applicable to distinctively Christian
daily. In scrttinizing a commercial
/ daily we must follow in a harmonious
/ line of thought, ard will, therefore.
look at the moral tone of that which
/ claims to be news. The page 1 referred
/ to. we think, stands the test well. 1t
covers a good range of subjects and a
wide area, geographically speaking;
I yet throughout is clean, wholesome
and even stimulating in tone.
From the editorial page always comes
/ the special impress of the editors men,
tai and moral makeup, just as the
I IS~NHtl III inc StuOOlIOODl, OF minister
\ IN the pulpit, or lecturer on the plat
/ form, affects those who come under his
/ influence or catch the import of thought
expressed. Reviewing page 4 of March
18th, We regard 1t fair in judgment, i'm
partial In speech and unwayering in
zone, leaving the impress Of a Just and
wholesome intent. The prevailing
tone on the editorial page is indicative
OF the undertone usually throughout
the paper. Reviewing the advertising
columns, we find at once some hyper.
boles, which we would naturally ex.
! pect Mr.. Sheldon 10 blue pencil, but in
| our Honolulu community, taken with
I the usual allowance Of salt, these are
/ hardly strong enough to kill germs
! of either intellectual or moral life.
Outside Of these we find by actual
measurement that clean sheet of pa
I per % commercial note size would more
/ than cover all that we would desire 20
hide from even Mr.. SheldOn's ewes.
Our final conclusions are that II
. might hp wise n aarH IN Z, 49,