The Dickinson press., 1900-03-17
SHELDON EDITION
TOPEKA MINISTER ISSUES HIS CHRIS
TIAN NEWSPAPER.

Current Events Put in the background
and Articles for Moral and Spiritual
Development Given the Prominent Po-
sitions-Patent Medicine and "Rargain
Counter" Advertisements Prohibited.
TOPEKA, Kan, March 13.-"The main
purpose of the paper will be to influence
its readers to seek first the kingdom of
God"
The Rev. Charles NJ. Sheldon, who
has assumed editorial and business con-
troll of The Daily Capital, which he will
retain one week, makes this announce.
ment in his editorial lead outlining his
policy. The Capital during this time
will be newspaper" the word
''news" being defined by Mr.. Sheldon
as anything in the way of current
events that the public ought to know
for its moral and spiritual development.
The paper is absolutely non partisan
and partisan political news is given
small notice. The war news is the fea-
ture of the telegraph page, the rrlmors
OF early peace being considered by Mr..
Sheldon the best possible news that can
be obtained. There will be no Sunday
paper, but instead Saturday evening
paper suitable for Sunday reading.
"May God bless the use of this paper
to the glory Of His kingdom on earth,"
says Rev. Sheldon in concluding his
leader.
Radical Change In Appearance.
The Capital appears with radical
change in style and makeup. Practi-
cally the only features familiar to its
regular readers is the title head line.
The first page, for instance, ordinarily
devoted exclusively to telegraph news,
has not line of the current news of the
day. Instead the page is given up to
discussions of what Mr.. Sheldon con-
siders the most important questions
now before the world. There are four
leading articles on this page, the first
being devoted to the famine in India.
"Militarism' is described to the extent
of 1900 words, the leading article under
this heading being extracts from
pamphlet upon miitarism by Balti-
more physician, DR.. Richard H.
Thomas, who treats the war evil as
"disease epidemic in all latitudes."
The third first-page story is a column
and half symposium of the Kansas
prohibitory law. The fourth and last
article is in the form of a letter to
Editor Sheldon from the Y. NJ. G. A. of
Colorado appealing to the Christian
people of the country to establish a
home for consumptives at Denver.
Strict Censorship of "Ads."
A notable feature of the paper is the
method Of handling advertisements.
They are banished from the news and
editorial pages and punched in places
reserved for them. The censorship here
is even more rigorous than in the news
columns and large quantity of this
class of matter has already been cut
out, including all relating to patent
medicines. The familiar corset adver.
tisements of the magazines, accom-
panied by cuts, have sought in vain for
space. No retail advertisements from
Kansas City or other out of town trades
men are accepted, Mr.. Sheldon holding
that this would be an injustice to home
merchants. The 1920 suit of clothes for
$14.75" style of advertising is also
barred.
A page is devoted to local news and
the leading features for the first day are
reports of a temperance revival and an
anti-cigarette meeting. Mr.. Sheldon
instructed the police reporter that in
case Of murder or other crime to write
bare statement of the facts. During
the conference the sporting editor re-
marked that there would be bowling
contest at the Y. M. G. A. rooms
II think" said Mr.. Sheldon, 'that
that is good clean sport. You may
print it.
One page is devoted to telegraph
news which ordinarily occupies about
three times that space. The Associated
Press report is ''blue penciled" with a
vengeance.
The market reports are cut from four
columns to one. All quotations on
stocks and bonds, giving options and
other matter involving transactions in
futures, are consigned to the waste
basket and only the actual cash price of
grain produce etc. quoted