The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-10
OUR SATURDAY SERMON.

Inc INQUEST CleI man WHO Is going
to show the public, through the me-
dunn OF the Topeka Capital, how
Christ would run newspaper if He
were on earth today" cannot be said,
whatever his good intentions may be,
to have cultivated a reverent spirit AS
between the offenses committed against
right thinking, good morals and good
taste by the public journals and those
committed by the clerical sensational
lists of the eff Christ came to Chicago"
and IF Christ went to Congress" pat
tern there may be a difference in de-
gree, but not in kind. Indeed, We are
not sure but that the editors who pho
tograph the passing show of life,
whether it be good or ill, do less harm
to the religious community than the
ministers whose colloquiai familiarity
with the attributes of Christ and their
fantastic tricks before high Heaven
in His name, dilute the essence and
weaken the spirit of that respect for
sanctity, without which religion be-
comes a mere ritual, or, worse, a social
fad. II is well for such preachers
that there is not likely to be a second
coming in their day. If there were
the newspapers might have to record
more unhappy fate for them than
that which befel the money-changers
in the temple. ~
That there are faults in the newspa-
per press which the regenerating force
of Christianity might correct, we do
not doubt. How the Founder of Chris
tianity would proceed to correct them,
no one-not even Topeka pulpiteer-
can say with any claim of knowing
Perhaps the first step would be to re-
form the readers whose views of what
newspapers ought to be are shown in
the kind they buy. But this is ques-
tion which no mortal can. answer and
which had better be let alone. We turn
in the expectation of more profitable
results to the coming labors of the To-
peka clergyman who thinks he is quail
flied to represent the wisdom and ON
niscience of God in the field of Kansas
journalism.
We shall expect the Topeka Capital
while the novelty of the new manage
ment is at it's service, to be profitable
Advertisers will flock to it; everybody
within the reach of the paper and
many at distance from it will desire
to see the innovation. The test oil
whether the paper can find a staying
constituency or not will come later, aft.
er curiosity has worn off, and what this
results in must depend upon how sure
ly the publishers meet recognized
| popular want. II it is true that The
public desires the moral essay in the
place OF the characteristic editorial; i
true that it only wants the one-sidet
and imperfect picture Of the worlt
about US which comes OF reporting The
good and leaving out the evil; IL true
that the popular paper. is to be tht
emasculated one, then the Topeka Cap
ital, in demonstrating the facts, will
give Journalism a new pace. Publish
ers are as solicitous as other business
men to find what the people want ant
then to sell them the goods. They will
watch Mr.. Sheldon's work narrowly
and, despite his absurd and irreveren
pretensions, will do so in no mockini
spirit. II he hits the right chord the.
will also strike it; although they will
probably want him to demonstrate tn
value of his method longer than
week. Mr.. Sheldon should be urge
TO give the world his conception of ON
niscience in the editorial chair for
full month.
Meanwhile there Is some chance tina
the regular editor of the Topeka Capi
tai will occupy Rev. Mr.. Sheldon's pul
, pit and endeavor to show, not how tn
Deity would preach II He were o
earth, but what a mansof secular edU
cation and good purposes can find I
say about subjects OF the greatest hi
man concern. There will be somethin
refreshing in that. The editor Of I'll
Capital may know little of theolog
n but he knows the world about hi
h and is an adept at homely and pract