The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-23

anxious to know If Popenoe really IN
tends to keep his promises, or if they
will simply hold the sacks to contain
the million bushels of corn which Mr..
Popenoe, through the Kansas farmer,
will give India.
[F'rom Fourth Estate, New York;
Comment, both favorable and ad-
verse, has occupied thousands of col
umns in the newspapers of this country,
Canada and England. In fact, Topeka
at the moment is focusing the attention
of two continents.
HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
To the Fourth. Estate a few days ago
the story or this absorbing newspaper
experiment was given by one of the
owners Of the Topeka Capital, Frederick
o. Popenoe.
Mr.. Popenoe, who for a number of
years had been a warm friend of Mr..
Sheldon and strong supporter of him
in his Christian and philanthropic work,
one day asked Mr. Sheldon if he would
like to have the Capital placed at his
disposal in order that he might have op-
portunity to print what he would con-
slider a Christian daily paper. Mr..
Sheldon replied that if the opportunity
We're to be an absolutely unfettered one
he would be glad to embrace it.
Mr.. POpenOe at once saw that the re-
suit of the experiment would not be a
fair one unless the opportunity were un-
fettered, and, on the other hand, that
to make it unfettered might put the
Capital in an embarrassing position He
therefore took time for reflection and
after the matter had been considered
with the other owners, came down to
+ New York to consult his old friend
-HaY1 hi iTo hn -iorI7f
lawyer, who had lived for many years
in Topeka and was Intimately acquaint-
ed with all parties. Mr.. Gardenhire ad-
vised that the entire plant of the paper,
| including it's presses, franchises the en-
tire editorial and business control of the
paper be turned over to Mr.. Sheldon un-
conditionally for a week, under what
in effect would be a lease of the entire
property for that period.
THE EXPERIMENT BEGINS.
This decision being acted upon, and
dates fixed from March IS to 10, the
next question naturally to be settled
| upon was the adoption of the right
methods for gaining an audience before
which this object lesson in Christian
/ journalism might be presented Mr.
! Popenoe called to his assistance as man
| ager of the edition Herbert S. Houston,
| of Outing, who had formerly lived in
! Kansas and was well acquainted with
| the Capital and it's owners.
| AS a plan of campaign that should
! be in harmony with the high aim of Mr..
| SheldOn's experiment Mr.. Houston sug-
| gested that the subscription work be
/ done through the Christian Endeavor
/ Societies, the Baptist Young Peoples
1 Union, the Epworth League, Women s
! Christian Temperance Union and Y. NJ.
c. A, and by all these societies it was
adopted.
, The wide publicity which the Sheldon
edition has had from the first has come
wholly from recognition by the press of
! the Importance of the Sheldon idea.
| Much of this publicity has been crit
| ica1 and some of it even denuncfatory.
! Many of the religious papers of the
! country have sharply criticised Mr..
! Sheldon, and have attributed all sorts
! of motives to him. In this connection
the opinion of Edward Wilder of To-
peka, the treasurer of the Santa Fe
railway company, is important
! SHELDON EARNEST AND SINCERE
mo earnest, intelligent person. said
Mr.. Wilder, who has met and known
| the Rev Charles NJ. Sheldon would
| believe that he was Influenced bv the
! desire for notoriety or sensa ationalism,
or that he would lend himself to a self
fish money making venture. The wide
| spread interest in the principle set
| Steps certainly demanded of Mr.. Pop
| enoe the utmost care and skill in
| aunching this unique newspaper ex-
| pertinent The Lords teaching that we
should commune with Him in the secret
of our closet is not more emphatic OF
| important than that we should pro-
| claim Him from the house tops, and
that we should preach the gospel to all
| nations"
The mechanical end of the expert
ment has been in the hands of the
! business manager of the Capital, Dell
Keizer. This has been essentially an
emergency situation to face and Mr.
keizer mas had to draw upon his
knowledge and long experience in the
! newspaper field to meet it, but he is
sanguine that he has succeeded II
meeting it and that the paper VIII be