The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-08
is most anxious of all things to get the
truth and IN rri1t "

is most anxious of all things to get the
truth and to print it,
The greatest appetite of the healthy
newspaper is for accurate news. Moth
ing appeases its daily hunger but the
truth of daily doings. It is the bread
and meat of its existence. Spice and
condiments may season but will not
sustain it. Error is destructive of it.
The modern newspaper that is
worth while has nothing to sell but
news and advertising. The advertiser
who would secure the best results from
his publicity, does well when he ex-
ercises the same effort to tell the truth
in his announcements that the paper
uses to secure the truth for its news
columns.
The newspaper is more and more
anxious to convey to its readers only
advertisements which are reliable. And
whatever their shortcomings. and how
ever far from the ideal the Topeka
newspapers may be, they have refused
thousands of dollars worth of adver-
Using which they regard as disreput-
able, harmful or objectionable.
With all its faults, which in the
main are due to difficulties in getting
facts, and getting them In season,
whatever the effort, there is still moth
ing which puts the whole country so
closely and truly akin as the modern
newspaper. Every reader this morn
ing and every reader this evening in
the entire United States, from Maine
to California, is reading the same i'm
portant events of the day a. the same
time, and pursuing the same thoughts.
That news may be the utterances of
the president in an important address
made the night before. or during the
day, touching upon issues in which all
are concerned. 1t may be the descrip-
ton of terrible disaster which fills
| the people in every town with the same
thrill of horror. 1t may be the story
of the discovery of the pole, or the
recital of a brave deed exciting the
wonder or the admiration of readers
everywhere.
The modern newspaper has created
a high degree of intelligence among
the great masses of people of all
/ classes for it scatters broadcast the
worlds doings, information of men and
| Of events. For this very reason the
strongest editorial is not one written
in dictatorial spirit, but rather one
that explains, adds to facts and APP
peals to the fairness of the situation;
one that cultivates the judicial and ju-
dicious, that breathes a spirit of JUS
tice and right.
Judicial in Character.
| Indeed, the respected newspaper
should be judicial in character. 1t is
| its duty to print both sides, to see that
witnesses for and against have a hear
/ ing, that the jury, the reading public,
may be fully informed and have the
facts for correct conclusions.
Every publisher realizes each day
how far from the ideal is the newspa-
| per product from his own presses, and
! how things have crept in that should
have been left out, or items that were
left out should have gone in. How
ever much the reader may criticise, he
| should know that the editors and re-
| porters feel the shortcomings, often
more than the reader.
I believe that the general newspaper
spirit and effort are for fairness and
j that papers are anxious to do the right
thing. To always discern or to do it
| is the difficulty. View points are so
different
An unfortunate article in a paper is
not unlike an Objectionable character
/ in the church. They cannot always be
prevented. The effort must be to i'm
| prove and to guard both the press and
| the parish.
The modern newspaper. as well as
the church, must stand for and pro-