The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-08

a good preacher, because he reaches a
larger audience. A bad editor and a
bad preacher make strong team in
the en- ploy of the devil
The preacher has no more right to
take one of the few disreputable news
papers as typical of the calling, than
the press to pick out rare, renegade
preacher as representative of the pulpit
1t is refreshing to hear the express
sion of penitence. 1t must be humiliat
ing for Mr.. Countermine to admit as he
does in his defense: that his informa
ton came from one who ''said" he was
a newspaperman; that 4 do not know
anything about running a newspaper"
that the statement read was not care
fully prepared; that if gone over care
fully it might be modified, etc.
Yet he criticiZeS newspapers in this
language: 1T is out of this most AFRO
gantly assumed authority that so much
if not all of the newspaper abuse of our
public men emanates- 1t comes not
from a careful study of the facts or
even desire to know the truth. but it is
simply the proud assertion of an indi-
vidual opinion, which opinion is often
times far from being either well in
formed or even honest"
He read and apparently endorsed
these hbels on the newspaper:
1T is not the practice of the daily
paper to secure the facts
mo paper will retain for forty-eight
hours a reporter who would write the
news just as he finds it. If he cannot
give to the most trivial items the most
sensational coloring he is soon Informed
by the management that his services
are not wanted and that he should seek
some other vocation than the journal
istic field
The reporter is paid to get facts. The
most strenuous injunction is to get news
straight; to be sure of the facts; to run
his legs off for the truth No reporter
is so insecure in his place. as careless
one; one who can not be depended upon
to preserve the papers most valuable
asset-a reputation for printing things
as they happen.
the estimation Of his fellows and of
those who employ him is the reporter
who writes what can not be depended
upon. If he willfully misrepresents
things, he is discharged. These are
newspaper axioms and it ought not be
necessary to print them any more than
to say dull, careless, unreliable
preacher is not wanted by a cengrega-
ton.
Facts are the most difficult things to
get. They have to be dug for, as gold
and precious stones. Preachers are Of
ten obstacles in the way of securing
facts. They are afraid, frequently of
the damage they may do as they
say. They are not scared at falsehood-
but at publicity of the truth Some
preachers come to an editor and beg
that facts be suppressed. They do not
have to beg that falsehoods be omitted
No reputable newspaper, no reputable
est newspaper is that which presents
the truth in the most interesting, forci-
BILE and effective manner.
The biggest demand in this world is
for conscientious labor. In its success
full efforts to secure it the State Jour
nal expends many thousand dollars
annually.
If DIR. Countermine had been as care
full to do justice to the papers as the
latter are to be fair to the preachers,
his paper would never have been read
in the form he gave it. But he is pen
itent; let us forgive him; he used care
lessly prepared information from an
unworthy source and appears to be
sorry for it