The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1907-03-16
MINISTER GIVES BAD
ADVICE.

Rev. Frank P. Hall, pastor of
the Universalist Church of the
Divine Paternity, spoke on Fit to
Print" at the twenty-frst annual
dinner Of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association at the
Waldorf Among other
things, he said:
l am not inclined to hold the
publisher responsible for the
material i'll the paper. 1t is the
reader who is responsible.
We need not be ashamed to
publish what the people are not
ashamed to do in private. Let's
not suppress. Let's have the
facts,
l'ublish what the people are not
ashamed to do III private? Bless
his dear old soul, he must be too
guileless and innocent for any Use
outside of the pulpit.
As there are hundreds of others
who are inclined TO the belief that
newspapers should publish every
thing, even as to what some per-
SONS are doing i'll private, we would
say that when a person is arrested
for an offense against the law, or is
taken into custody by the police OIL
suspicion, the item has legitimate
news value, but when it comes to a
question of publishing charges
where no arrest has been made. the
question assumes an entirely differ
ent phase.
Pages upon pages can be pub
lished OH the subject of what some
people are not ashamed to do i'll
private, but a number of news
papers have tried it and they were
suppressed in the name of decency,
and for tie good of the people.
Our ministerial friend i'll New
York can preach sermon from the
pulpit, which, by the way, is a
most sacred place, and it would be
perfectly proper, but the same
sermon composed in type and
printed in newspaper would be
harsh, forbidding and libelous.
1t is probable that Rev. Mr.. Hall
would not hold the publisher re-
sponsible for the material in the
paper, but this does not carry with
it an exemption from the opera
tions of the law, nor does it help
the publisher when an unscrupul-
Gus lawyer attempts to make CAPT
tai out of something that may
appear in the publication.
Another statement was made to
the effect that the newspapers have
right to print what the people are
saving. This is the most absurd
remark we have heard in many
years.
Un,avory stories are in circula-
tiou in every town in the country.
Some are based on fact, while the
majority are started by unthinkinc
scandal mongers who have no idea
what great crime they are com-
hitting and who give no thought
to what they are talking about.
Evil Report has no sponsor and
works on the tongue of moral
pervcrt with a much greater readl-
ness than if the person were to un-
dertake to quote Scripture or dis
cuss one of the common questions
of the day.
| We believe in the shotgun or
CATO -nine-tails treatment for the
man who speaks lightly of E
woman s reputation and the same
treatment should be administered
to the editor wko would undertake
to fill his columns with details of
what a great number of people are
not ashamed to do in private. Such
stuff is not fit to be printed and
placed before the eyes OF the news
. paper readers, and particularly so
. many young people of innocent and
: immature minds among the list OF
. readers. There are some things
, can be taught them by their
, mothers; mot by daily news
p paper. hatcher Democrat.