The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-03
ONE PREACHERS IDEAS
ABOUT NEWSPAPERS.

jackson. Tenn. Dec. The Reverend
Doctor II. y. Matthew's preached IA the
Presbyterian church today al The Press "
il' took for his texts: Hob ANIu, -. oh
that thoy w,rc luhIIsh,j.' and Psalms
lHNiii. u. 'tarrat MaS til. company Ihal
published" He said in part:
What i a newspaper II Is the 'laily
paSc Of the worlds journal Of tGctS-a com
pivtc dnd accurate record OF events. Ii
must take the Transactions of every houc
and "Ut of them make perfect record.
and irpm their truths draw practical les
SONS tor thc general public good.
In its editorial junction. 1t must he "A
great teacher mnlGInC pubic opinion. stat
~" fully and conciScN The leading dcIaIis
81 every transaction. giving the tru,n Of
each. regardless II all concerned. " Rem Il
d"'~ that. 1t - independent ana all pow
ciiul
From what source does the pres. Get
iIs information: II is indebted 10 every
department Of !lir. AMI III that sense must
h" perfectly familiar With every avcnu" OF
IN" world and ItS people II owes all a
debt. Ii should publish everything. and 81
clearly expose tho conditions found IN
every sphere Of life shat each class will
hc represented and thereby become inter
csjg3- ,rh" press has il IN it, power To
Ike that Possible. ami thereby reap th5
harvest 81 de~irdbl, CUudi;Io II iS
tfuc that 4 papers money does not come
from its readers. hut, when its news d.
partm'nt is 80 Indispensable that all m'n
'.yHIUI il, then II becomes the IN, iium
through which all businesses advertise,
ana in that way r,als its greatest financial
success.
Has the press license or liberty? 1t ccr-
hind is position and trcSpdSS upon the
truth take license from error. To invade
sacred bounds -" the purpose "t sratiiy-
ing curiosity or PandernG to yellow read
,rs-' Tn" yellow journal is product of
yellow readers The paper should make the
reader. not the reader the paper. The press
mas liberty. Truth il the great crnanci-
pator. Truth makes free ani bold. whether
II hc the truth about a dog or 4 phi!osn-
phsT a saint or sinner. 1t should exhibit
;hc greatest amount oi moral courage, tr'le
backbone. The world is fatiSued with
those who can he bought or Influenced; All
honest men arr disguised with those
who can change their policy for coin.
The press should stand before the world ,lr-
right. honest, and aS 4 man. tssuiyinS
III, truth, the whole truth and nothing hT;
the truth. with firm convictions and prin-
ciples. .-,...,
In fact. the future paper should boom" i
strong advocate ~ simple. pure fGith ia
God and thereby lead the world away
iron its Theological conflicts, into conii-
can 1t De a financial success" If the
rr.'i,y Of accuracy is followed its financial
success is assured. Economy should mark
very step OF its progress. especially IN ITS
business manage meDt, but 1t should never
hesitate. in spending money to secure the
!.rws. 1t should get the facts. get them TrSt
.inI state them accurately, and the world
viii then iii the papers Golfers 10 Overflow
ing.
The paper that presents stale matter,
rew. twenty-fnur hours old. deserves death
and disgrace. The Iaper that is not original,
brilliant. furCeful and cducative in its .-fi-
turials should. with the editors, bc hanged
until dead. dead, dead.
The work of the press il. primarily. n
diSinterest, d work. solely in the interest
of truth and tho general public good That
G"cs not mean that it is an omnibus to carry |
deadheads, deadbeats. defunct aristocrstcy |
and common society thieves. There is oLly |
ant. man in the world who should have the |
paper free. hc who cannot read and write. |
1t might be to him pictorial spelling /
Any man who can read and who refuses 10 |
take and pay for a good paper is public Z,
incubus and a social anarchist.
H" who misrepresentS facts Ia the re- /
porter or editor should lie indicted for |
perjury. II the press published all the |
li'S you ask il to publish about your kith |
ami kin. living and dead. its pages wouiu |
immediately become as black as Egyptian :
darkness and a. concentrating as the /
breath Of hill The press is the worlds |
@rcatcs; protector, humauity's greatest d.-
fender. Soci"ty's keeneSt pleasure and COM
rerc"'s most rffectUal promoter. God bless
the press May he he praised for giving to
tine world this Indispensable handmaid to
the pulpit.
lit is wise to Use the press freely No in
v"Stmcut pays quite 50 large dividend
iudicious advertising. The newspaper is the
only legitimate and profitable medium
through which to adyertisc.
''Ths press belongs to God. and never be-
fore in tn" history of the world did il 50
fuiiy realize that as il does to-day. Ii is
doing trEI" CVangeliStic work with every is /
sue of the paper. let the church support |
with prayers and money this God-ordainei
agent The man who refuses to pay his
per should hr cNc"mmUni"ate ted and made to |
sit in total darkness FOX one year