Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-08-02
DOES THE PRESS CillyllzE7
~ PROF. MASON A. WHITEHEAD,
JACKSON, MISS.

~ VUSFs WNo0N ~ VIII SVs3eSt
JACKSON, MISS.
When John Gutenberg and Laurens
JanszoCn Caster perfected the plans
OF movable typography, they made q
contribution that holds within It's
clutches an everlasting influence to
mankind. The printing press 10 a
veritable power for good or for evil.
There IL indeed great comfort al we'll
as pleasure In retiring among the
quiet recesses OF our library room and
spending the time in cleaning silent
facts from the printed page. This
quiet room may contain thousands or
even hundreds Of thousands OF print
ed pages. but none OF these have
more popular or higher values than
the daily paper. Its journey 10 that
from the pent-up convictions Of q VI
brating world. It's influence 10 there
fore both magical and tragical. Men
are being shaped and hammered. In
this the most dominant foundry OF
the modern age. 1t 10 little less
than useless to attempt to change
man from processes OF crystallized
newspaper convictions whatever their
character.
The position that the press holds
10 therefore one Of importance. As
the wind carries the refreshing rain.
drop to the thirsty cells OF the vege-
table kingdom, so do these flying mes.
ssengers I'LL the hungry intellect Of
man. They further demonstrate the
3well-known fact OF mans being a
social creature and is lonely when
accommodated. In the face of this
one fact It can be indisputably con-
sjectured that the newspaper will for
ever serve as q connecting link and
q modifier Of civilization.
We have noted that intense interest
10 centered in, the paper. On the
holy Sabbath its power displaces the
monotony Of all secular lore: surely,
there is seldom or never any time
to read the Bible. II perchance a
copyrighted sermon or Sunday-school
lesson Is put In the daily paper on
Sunday the reader may scan over 1t
hastily Just prior to quit reading and
60 to sleep. Secular affairs always
are given hrst place. The idea OBJ
tains then that the newspaper 10 a
power any way it IL taken.
Next we will note its object. OBJ
servation discloses two facts that the
average newspaper exists for: first,
to make money: secondly, to civilize.
In this day the mad rush Of greed and
gain has about asphyxiated the term
"ciyilize." Tho term in its American
use has largely degenerated into a
barren superdciality. Moralists have
long since agreed that mere intel.
lectual training is not a prerequisite
to higher spiritual training and living.
Some Of the blacklist characters
painted on the pages Of history were
of giant intellect. So man who is
conversant with all current events
may, and oftentimes will, assimilate
the worst spirit and fall victim to
crime. The real object of the press
generally speaking, is lost sight 2oi
in the last analysis. The average
newspaper man was as much called
to go and pillow corn as the old darkey
was who said he saw his own "call'
in the clouds. We will disclose this
fact under the subject head Abuse OF
Power" .E
The position. the power and, the OBJ
ject Of the press have all been con
sidsred. It IL now timely to know
how it Is abusing the privilege OF
good service. TO be more specific, we
submit the exact mind and temper
of its daily visitations: (a) dominance
Of materialistic ideas; (b) sports;
(c) advertisements: Ia sensations. al
gratis, murders, kidnapping. embessls
ments, rape, lynching; (e) all forms
of Incorporate speech and habits;
(f) low politics. How is the press
abusing its privilege by publishing
these things? Shouldn't they be
known? Truly, they should. Holy
Writ exposed the diabolical conduct
Of Judas 1scariot but not without
moral considerations to others. No
tice, Christ knew the mans inten.
ton prior to the act and issued gen
eral warning 10 az to save even Judas
II he had accepted. Can one be per:
suaded to believe that there Is much
ethics in the. life Of this great press
army in America when crime is run
ming rampant In the face Of daily ex'
position? Is it not true that man
is growing Intellectually wise and
morally weak? Does not the temper
(spirit) of the general moral concep'
ton rest upon flne-spun phraseologies
Of speech rather than helpful influ.
ences? The man who will stand for
hours and narrate ali. Of the details
of a national or local scandal as a
mere matter of entertainment IN not
near as noble as he into whose mind
these evils had not crept Since the
article read is nude Of ethical temper,
he, like humanity In general. only
yearns for an opportunity.
Before leaving this paragraph. per.
haps the words Of Mr.. Alfred H.
Fried, before the great 1nter-Racial
congress In London, England, who
spoke on "The Press as an instrument
Of Peace" might turn on some light.
Mr.. Fried said: "The far greater part
Of tho press In all countries. and e.
pecially those journals that appeal to
the largest number Of people. arr
hungrtly swallowed by millions Of
readers, take no interest in promot.
,ing civilization and tho peaceful do.
velopment Of peoples and races. Their
only interest II to Gust their rivals
In providing the greatest possible sen.
sation ana 20 secure the largest sdi-
lions. The. consequences Of this are
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