The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-08

OF thlS country.
Opportunity for the Paper.
There is a wonderful opportunity for
the modern newspaper to serve a most
astonishing and interesting and vital
purpose in making history and shap-
ing the whole civilized world. In spite
of these weaknesses which I have
mentioned frankly, I sincerely believe
that the newspaper helped by the
church. and home and the best part
OF our manhood has it in its power to
do miracles in the way of helping the
regeneration of mankind along four
lines.
l. Political honesty.
The newspaper can contribute to-
wards this in a remarkable fashion.
1t is already doing SO in many noble
instances. The tremendous need of IT
here in America is very apparent. A
long time resident of the state of
Ohio, speaking the other day of the
bribery cases which have recently been
discovered in that great state, said it
would take one hundred years for Ohio
to recover from the shame of that
event in her political history. The
really discouraging thing about it was
that the men who paid and received
brides for their votes did not seem to
have any moral sense over the trans
aetion-in other words, did not con-
slider 1t to be in any way wrong. They
were only sorry that they had been
found out. They had no repentance
or shame for having done a disrep-
utable thing. The newspapers can do
a work which the pulpit can not do in
teaching political honesty in every sec
ton of the country.
2. Another large place of service for
the modern newspaper is the education
of the people in clean living. Some
papers have begun already to give
their readers a very useful and inter-
esting course of articles on physical
habits. The course could be outlined
by any modern newspaper that would
continue for year or more and be OF
magnificent value to every home. Let
the newspaper cut out its comic sup
plements, its unworthy advertisements,
its sensual gossip of society triviali-
ties. Let it cut out its pictorial sup
p1ements of the handsom est young
woman in town and a picture of her
last gown and put in the place of these
things articles which treat on clean
physical life, articles written by men
and women who know the facts in the
case. Tt is in the power of the news
paper to help prolong the life of hu-
mainly, in saving the lives of thou
sands of children, and bringing about
changes in the habits of people. If
the great newspapers in the east which
publish advertisements of liquor and
other nostrums would put in the place
of these advertisements the results of
modern discoveries in the matter of
diet and the value of foods and the
sanitary application of Gods laws they
would do a most valuable service to
the physical life of the people.
8. The modern newspaper can serve
the whole world by giving its influence
in numberless ways towards the COM
ing in of international peace. There
are many newspapers in this country
that are still. after all these centuries
of Christian civilization standing by the
old barbarism of war. Imagine what
G. great campaign could be begun and
carried on by the daily papers if they
would all unite to cry down war and
cry up peace Let them throw their
searchlights on the real reason why
this barbarism continues. Let them
tell the public how the manufacturers
of war material block the progress of
legislation; how the powerful lobby of
naval officers and their wives and
daughters in Washington are contin-
ually objecting to any line of measures
looking towards the final abolition of
navies. Let them tell how the COM
mercial interests of the country for
their own selfish purposes are willing
to prolong the barbarism which should
have died out of the world a thou
sand years ago. | cannot think of
anything more . serviceable for the
daily press than just such a course of
education on the whole question as
The modern newspaper owes a debt
to civilization which it ought to pay.
For years the church and the private
individual have. been held accounta BILE
for the regeneration of mankind. As
a matter OF fact the regeneration of
mankind is such a tremendous job
that not even the church or the Chris
tan. citizen can measure up to it alone.
The great newspapers of the world
which. for example, keep silent on the
question of the liquor business, are
guilty of not doing their share. The
church in the world is not sufficient
by itself to accomplish SO great a re-
form as the destruction of the liquor
business. How many newspapers, for
example, in New York City, Philadel-
phia, Chicago, Boston, Denver, San
Francisco are doing anything to help
the church wipe out the saloon? But
if these newspapers would give their
assistance to this great work united
with the churches and Christian popu-
lation to clean out of our civilization
one of it's worst enemies. there would
not be a saloon left in the United
States within ten years 1t is my hon
est conviction that the press in the
great cities is guilty of a wrong against
civilization because 1t does not assist
civilization as it might. If the leading
dailies of the country banded together
in one great brotherhood they could
accomplish miracles of regeneration of
humanity.
Suggests Newspaper Duty.
This same power exercised for the
good of the race could make wonder
full campaign against :.overty. 1t
could fight established corporate
greed it could be the greatest voice
ever heard since the voice of John
the Baptist to proclaim liberty to the
children of men. The time has come
in our civilization when there must be
a recognition of the fact that all the
forces which we call civilization have
a duty to unite for the welfare of the
whole. Because a man is not mem
Der of church and does not call him
self Christian does not excuse him in
the least from doing his part to make
a better world. The editors and pro-
prietors of newspapers are just as
much bound by obligation to use their
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