The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-15
THE SHELDON PAPER.
What E. W. Howe Writes About It to
the st. Louis Republic and
New York Herald.

cannot understand why the Rever-
end Charles NJ. Sheldon does not at
tempt to reform the church and clergy
rather than the newspapers, which are
doing very we'll No intelligent man
will question that the newspapers are
improving; that they are growing in ia
vor with the people, as well as in use
fulness. But how about the clergy?
In the North American Review the
Reverend MinOt j. Savage, pastor OF
the Church of the Messiah, New York
assails religion as Viciously as Tom
Paine ever did. The claim that they
(the Old and New Testaments) are in
fallible," he says, lis absolutely without
any basis whatever. except that of an
utterly baselesS ecclesiastical tradition.
The books make no such claim on their
own behalf This claim is an affront to
human reason There is not one single
feature of the orthodox plan of saliva
ton that does not outrage the sense of
justice of any intelligent and unbiased
mind"
He refers to Gods acts as brutal and
speaks with equal disrespect of Jesus.
He declares that the orthodox plan of
salvation is not only baseless, but dis
tinctly and definitely an immoral
scheme from beginning to end"
The reader may wonder, as do, why
such a man should call himself "rever-
end" and be the pastor of a church, but
there are hundreds Of such. Ralph Wal
do Emerson was one. In Kansas City,
MO- there IS q Illal calling nllllSGlI a
doctor ofdivinity, who was pastor of All
Souls church, and whose sermons are
nothing more than Bob" Ingersolls in
fdel lectures rehashed.
Heresy is rampant among the clergy,
and the church is going to pieces be
cause Of Indifference. Last year the
governor of New Hampshire suggested
a day of fasting and prayer, because the
executive, in journeying from village to
village, found churches closed, windows
boarded up and the roofs fallen in. Re
HgiOuS optimistS have come to look
with apprehension upon the attitude of
the people toward the Christian church.
A gentleman recently visited his native
town in Ohio and found five or six
churches being used for commercial
purposes. In Bureau county, Illinois, it
is said that fourteen churches have
been deserted to wind and weather.
These are not newspaper statements I
quote the Reverend Doctor Hills, who,
unlike Savage, is not a Unitarian.
The cal offenders against religion are
not tne newspapers. The reviews and
magazines are the culprits. Consider
ing that the clergy are always grumb-
ling about the newspapers, the news
papers are singularly fair with the
church and clergy. The newspapers do
not like the church and the clergy, but
they treat them with respect.
The Reverend Mr.. Sheldon is, there
fore, making war on a friendly power.
If the Reverend Mr.. Sheldon will attack
the church and clergy and force them
to compel the respect of the people, he
may rest assured of the assistance of
the press, for the press dare not oppose
public sentiment. The press has be-
come powerful and useful by following
the best public sentiment.
A useless, vicious newspaper is aban-
dOned by the people, and soon loses
power to do harm. since a newspaper
stands or falls on its merits. People
do not support newspapers as a matter
of duty. but when a useless, vicious
clergyman is driven out of one COM
munity, IS he not accepted in another?
IN towns where I have lived I have
known many clergymen who were
either wicked or who stirred up so
much discord as to be worse than use
less. I never knew one of these to be
retired They have received calls
from other congregations. Why does
not MIR Sheldon attempt to reform this
habit, instead of widely advertising
himself by editing a secular paper six
days? Is Mr.. Sheldon better than the
editors of the town in which he lives =?
I will state an incident which has
been widely printed, but which has not
been denied, and the reader may judge
for himself.
Five years ago Mr.. Sheldon purchased
four bottles of beer, under false pre-
lenses, of an old Topeka druggist. At
that time the Kansas prohibitory law
was held by many persons to be i'm
DOrCdlL. II IS now a O6aQ letter. Mr..
Sheldon placed the beer on his pulpit
tho following Sunday, and preached a
sensational sermon, and caused the ar
rest of the druggist, who was the
father of four motherlesS little girls.
The druggist was sent to Jail. His par
don was secured through the efforts of
the newspapers which were strong advo-
Gates of the prohibitory law. Topeka
people say that the old druggist, whose
name was HOller was an excellent cit
izen, and during the civil war he was
a soldier in the union army.
Botn the Topeka papers are excellent.
They are sold now at 81 a year. When
Mr.. Sheldon takes hold of the Capital
the p'ice will be increased more than
threefold.
The only excuse for a daily news
paper is the news. If the Reverend Mr..
Sheldon does not print the news, his
paper will be no more useful to Chris
tianitY than the excellent religious
weeklies and monthlies already in ex-
istence. Indeed, it will not be so useful,
because he cannot compete with the
trained editors of the religious press.
The Reverend MI. Sheldon's announce
ment that he will conduct the Topeka
Capital a week as Jesus would conduct
it is not only an advertising scheme, but
it is blasphemOus as 1 heard a clergy
man say the other day. If Christ were in
finite, it is blasphemy for a finite man
to say what he would do under the cir
!
The Capital will do we'll during the
week that the Reverend Mr.. Sheldon
edits 1t, for the word Christian attracts
a certain class of people as the flame
attracts the moth. Here is an incident
/ that may be amusing and which is
vouehed for by William Allen White, ed
/ itor Of the Gazette. at Emporia, Kan,
and a writer of national reputation:
"A week ago the Gazette printed a
| clipping from the Atchison Globe, con-
tanning some burlesque advertisements
| that might appear in the Reverend
/ Charles NJ. Sheldon's Christian Capital.
| One of them was this:
! 'Wanted-A Christian man wants
money to invest; will guarantee 20 per
/ cent per month; no chance to lose as
| everything will be managed by Chris
| tians. Address Brother Bolton, this
| office
To-day the Gazette received the fol-
lowing reply. addressed to Brother Boil
| ton, Gazette Office, Emporia:
- sF,O1npria n.