Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-27

In this country OF swift developments
one sensation Is hardly out Of the way
before the stage is set for another This
week all eyes nave been turned on
Washington where Congressman
Roberts held the center OF the stage.
They will now be turned on Topeka,
Kansas, where the most interesting
journalistic experiment Of the century
is about to be entered upon
II is not too much to say that the
book written by the Rev. Mr.. Sheldon
OF Topeka, in His Steps, or What
would Jesus Dor" has been the literary
sensation Of this decade, II has set
the whole world TO talking, and the
deep impression 1t made In this section
when It was published by the News
Is still well remembered.
New interest In the book and It's au-
thor has been aroused by the announce
ment that the proprietors OF the To-
peka Capitol have offered their paper
Mr.. Sheldon for week in April to
conduct in every department, just as he
wished to conduct It, editorial, adyer-
Using and all others, and that Mr.. Shell
don had accepted the offer with the
stipulation that any profits from the
venture should be devoted to some
charity. The dispatches say that he
viii supervise personally every line that
goes in the paper; that sporting news,
scandals and prize fights will be ex-
cluded: that no advertisement OF a
whisky or cigar house Will be accepted,
and that when he is in doubt as to his
line Of action at any time, he will ask
himself the question, What Would
Jesus Do" under the same set of cir
cumstances, and be governed In his ac-
lions by what he thinks the correct an
swer would be.
Whether the scheme is merely an ad-
vertlslng dodge Of the Topeka Capitol.
as some allege, or whether 1t is prompt
ed by a spirit Of Christian phllanthro-
ply. 1t will be followed with absorbing
interest here as well as elsewhere. To
endeavor to ascertain what Salt Lake
ministers thought OF the feasibility Of
Mr.. Sheldon's venture In journalism.
and to ascertain their views as to how a
model paper should be conducted, the
News" sent reporters to the gentlemen
whose names follow and propounded
the two inquiries. The results are APP
pended:
DIR. WIN. NJ. PADEN.
DR.. William NJ, Paden. pastor Of the
First Presbyterian church, gave most
entertaining talk regarding the subject,
and one thing that made his remarks
especially interesting is his acquaint-
ance with Rev. c. NJ. sheldon.
Yes" said DR.. Paden TO the News
81 know Mr.. Sheldon well. II any have
an idea that he Is a sensationalist they
are entirely mistaken. He is simply
an earnest man, seeking to do good.
Neither is he a seeker after notorfety.
In fact he Is retiring TO the point OF ex-
treme modesty so far as his efforts are
concerned There is nothing OF the
fanatic about him, and from his man
ner and appearance he impresses one
as a thorough business man. and he is
sensible In all things. 1t was my pleas
ure to be with him In an audience OF
600 ministers and the way he answered
everything put TO him stamped him as
a practical man. Now the question Is
really not What Would Jesus Do but
What would Jesus have me do We
live In different age from that OF
Christ, our environment Is wholly DIFF
ferent and the problems have changed,
no doubt, but except for these crcum-
stances, the truth is just the same. al
though conditions to which action is
applied may be new. Now. coming
right down 10 the question suggested,
and taking II home, the question is how
would Jesus have me conduct a news
paper? ] think He would have me
publish clean, wholesome paper. Ger
tainly He would have me give the news,
but the news should be given with
moral bearing and the whole tone OF the
paper should be positive on the side OF
justice and morality.
Whenever we are dealing with morals
the negative man counts the wrong
way. A murder. even, must be noted,
but II should be In such way as 10
cause horror at such a crime. instead OF
fascinating by all kinds Of dressing up
Then there Is a tendency to make
one man who does something wrong
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