The age-herald., 1900-03-27
SHELDON'S EFFORT
 WAS A FAILURE

From the Topeka Daily Capital.
 ~'rhe Topeka Daily Capital again assumes its sphere and work as republican daily newspaper. The experiment tried by Rev Charles M. Sheldon from March 13 to March IS in making Christian daily is a matter Of history. It has deeply interested millions or people. With the zealously religious people, at least with many of them. there Is a sincere belief that the experiment will be benefit in arousing interest in higher standards of journalism, while a large ma jority of people will refuse to see anything in it but the great zeal of anf earnest evan gelist in a strange field of labor.
 The estimate placed upon MT. Sheldon's experiment. will generally be that 1t was a failure as a newspaper, and not above the average as religious paper. The legitim- ate work of newspaper is above all else to give the news. It may have a rich mis- cellany, a broad and intelligent editorial survey of the topics and issues of interest, but if it fails to give the general news from all parts of the world as well as local and state news, without emasculation and cen sorship, it fails primarily in giving the peo- pie what they want and have a right to have. The religious weeklies and month lies of the country are edited by able men, and they offer in good form religious news and discussions of subjects appropriate for their columns that fully satisfy the demand for special religious reading. On the other hand the secular daily press in the large cities is supported by unlimited capital and employs the abest writers and best-trained men for every department-men equipped for newsgathering and the treatment of any literary, scientific, military, educational or religious topic the world has ever seen. There are also a vast number of class pa- pers covering every field of human labor in education, law, literature, science, reforms of all kinds, agriculture trade and com merce in infinite variety. The daily and weekly newspapers fill fields entirely diff ferent and in no wise conflicting with Mus trated weeklies monthlies, critical reviews or class papers. The secular daily paper. whether partisan or independent, is not made for a class or a sect or a part of the people, but for all the people, and as such must offer its readers a paper free from sectarian religious bias.
 Whether daily paper is republican, dem- ocrat or populist in politics, it is made for all religious denominations, the Jew as well as the Methodist, the Catholic as well as the Presbytrian, and for the man who has no belief. That 1t should stand for all that builds a community, for all that makes good citizens, for clean municipal govern ment, for honest political methods, for schools and churches and libraries, for the good name of the city, the state and the nation, requires no argument. The press Of the country today is on the side Of law and order, it is against crime, it is for fair ness and justice and as ready as any pro- fession to champion the weak against the strong and to demand honesty and fair dealing.
 The editor of the Capital has heretofore said in these columns that there is no field for the Christian daily and that there is no demand for such publication. In the great centers of population with ample capital such paper might be made self sustaining in time, but it is gravely to be doubted.