The Irish standard., 1910-07-23
considerable sacrifice but it is sacri-
flee for a worthy end and. one that
will be prolific of good results.
THE CATHOLIC JOURNALIST.

THE CATHOLIC JOURNALIST.
In an address on the possibilities
open to the Catholic graduate in pub
, lie life Judge William +. Connolly Of
Detroit, Michigan, gave utterance 10
statements that are we'll worth talk
ing to heart. The words of this dis
tinguished jurist not only show the
excellent possibilities that lie open to
the Catholic young man in public life
| but they give due emphasis to the
great influence the journals of the day
exert on public opinion and the ne
cessity of exercising care in choosing
reading matter for the home. In his
address Judge Connolly said:
of journalism, like condition con-
fronts him. There is no position, out
side of the priesthood, so influential
for good as the position of the jour-
nalist. He is the maker of public opin-
ion; he is its guide when made; from
day to day he pours into million
ears his views of life and policy. There
Is peculiar reverence and credulity
amongst the bulk of men for the ut
terances of the press. I marvel great
ly sometimes to hear men assert the
existence Of certain facts because a
newspaper has so stated the facts. The
printing press gives to the utterances
of the journalist a weight and author
ity which he, speaking as. a person.
could never hope to receive. Yet, what
are the standards of modern journal
ism? Has not the commercial spirit
largely neutralized, if not destroyed,
it's power for good? How often do we
hear it cynically said that this or that
newspaper is managed from it's BUSH
frankness, to make money. What is
the inevitable result? The old-fash-
Toned ideals of personal journalism are
vanishing. Few Journalists Of the type
Of Greeley or Watterson survive. We
have a new journalism which respects
not the privacy of individuals which
violates every rule of decent conduct
and propriety, which plumbers a mans
private effects like a thief in the night.
and blazons forth his stolen CORES
pondence in the name of reform; a
new journalism which would assas-
sinate reputation to sell a penny pa
per; a journalism without respect for
law, human or divine. The liberty of
the press has degenerated into Ii
cense. The press itself has become a
commercial institution. The modern
newspaper which stands for high ideals
OF conduct carries heavy handicap.
Nor is this condition entirely the fault
of the. journalist. To- be sure he has
put away his ideal of molding public
opinion to just and true conclusions,
and has degenerated into mere mer-
chant of news and advertising space.
But like the lawyer who sold his ideal
from the behoof of necessity or the
greed of gold, so the journalist has
sold his ideal because the low moral
tone of the community has permitted,
yea demanded, this kind of journalism,
and so, because the business office
rules, the journalist panders to the
passions Of the mob.
l would not have you believe that
this is the universal condition of Jour-
nalisn. What I mean to say is, that
such is its dominant character. What
a magnificent field there is here for a
journalist of worthy ideals! How he
! could uplift his fellows to the knowl-
edge and the love Of truth and 'tus-
tice! How he could turn the search
light of whitening scorn upon the evil
and the base, and drive the fawning
sycophant and skulking criminal to
their merited oblivion.