The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1900-02-23
An Experiment.

is published at Topeka, Kansas. For
one week commencing March 18th the
author of in His Steps, or What
Would Jesus do'' will assume the en-
tire editorial and business management
of the paper.
Less than three years ago the Rev.
Charles NJ. Sheldon. then the pastor of
a small church in Topeka, Kansas,
read to his Sunday evening congrega-
ton serial story. That story, like
the wind that bloweth where it
listethn has gone out to all the nations
of the earth.
'In His Steps, or What Would Jesus
Do'' has been read by over 20,0D0,000
of people of all nationalities and
tongues. It is the record of the say
ings and doings of few people in an
average community who before they
spoke or acted asked themselves the
following question: sWhat would
Jesus say or do were He in my placer
and then spoke and acted in accord
ance with what they supposed He
would say or do were He in their place.
Edward Norman, one of the characters
in the serial, edited the Raymond
Ne,es and conducted it upon this plan.
1t is for the purpose of allowing Mr..
Sheldon to put into practice his ideal
conception of how newspaper should
be conducted that the Topeka Duty
/ CIpitai is to be given into his hands
for one week. fit is possible for him
+ to put into practice his ideal concep-
ton of the way Edward Norman con-
Quoted the Raymond Ne,es, in the
short space of one week, the people OF
Topeka and all others who desire win
have the opportunity of reading a
newspaper conducted as Jesus would
conduct it were He here and running
a paper-at least as near as it is posi-
T BILE for a man to so conduct it. Mr.
Sheldon may err in his judgment as TO
/ lust how Jesus would conduct news
paper were he here now conducting
one, but he will certainly be conscien
tious in the course he pursues. Moth
! ing whatever is to go into the paper
that would not receive the approval of
Jesus. "Would Jesus publish it?'' is to
be asked regarding everything for
publication, and if the answer is in the
affirmative then it is to go in; other
wise it is to be rejected. "What would
Jesus do" is the challenge to every
line, to every column, and to every
page; to every piece of news, to every
editorial, and to every advertisement.
The Topeka Daily Capital, for one
week at least, is to be the ''graiP' of
purer journalism.
The extent of the influence of such a
newspaper upon the thought and ac-
ton OF the world is beyond conjecture.
The ideal of such an enterprise is so
high, the moral atmosphere so sur
rounding it so pure that we fear the
average individual would hardly reach
it. A moral lever indeed it would be,
but where would rest the fulcrum? 1t
is a great undertaking, too great we
fear for the present ethical condition
of man. Is it not like taking little
child who knows not his letters and
starting him in the third, fourth or
even the fifth reader? Like putting the
little boy just in his mental arithmetic
to making table of logarithms?
1t will certainly be an object lesson,
but who will venture a prediction as to
the result. Its aim is to throw ray of
/ light = searchlight into the moral
/ (immoral) world. But it is hardly pos
sible that newspaper can be success
fully conducted along these lines. 1t
is true that modern journalism holds
much that is bad, but it is equally true
that it holds great deal that is good.
The ideal laid out by Mr.. Sheldon
would certainly deprive the newspaper
of its present field of work. The press
ought to lead public opinion in ethics,
both social and political; but to do so
it must remain in touch with the
t people. If you place it SO far in adj
vance that they cannot feel its influ-
ence they will grope in the dark; it
will accomplish nothing. We doubt
the practicability and wisdom of the
scheme
AT first thought one might think this
undertaking was the work of an upper
story to rent religious crank and IA
matte. His book ''In His Steps, proves
the contrary however. He is a man
of great intellectual training and spirit
ual endowment. Mr.. Sheldon is a born
leader and is a living illustration in
the community in which he lives of
the uplifting power of a Christian life.
He may be a dreamer, but he is
genius. He has prolific imagination,
but is largely an idealist. While others
are specializing on sociology he is ex-
perimenting. He takes for his stand
ard not the bible but Christ, and en-