Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-05-05
Tuesday, May 5, 1914.
The Pulpit and the Press.

fingers of a single hand since the
number of newspapers awakening to a
degree Of moral scrutiny and re-
sponsibility greater than the laws re-
ouire, reached a majority. Today the
standard is fixed and the unprinei-
pied newspaper must sooner or later
see the light or succumb to the grind
ing mills of popular judgment. Today
advertising columns are cleaning up
and the filthy, the unclean or sug-
gestiye go to the waste-ba basket with an
impatient fling. The world is so full
of that which is good that more and
more closely the perhaps bad is scru-
tinized.
1t is still necessary to fight certain
evils with their own weapons and TO
speak the truth plainly, but today the
newspaper that has realized its re-
sponsibilities and its mission is CO.
originating its editorial news and ad-
vertising columns in moral uplift.
A clean press and a clean pulpit are
travelling hand in hand. The news
paper editor has an audience of many
thousands daily; the pastor of hun
dreds weekly. The editor talks to
Methodists, Mormons, Catholics,
Christian Scientists. Presbyterians,
Unitrians, and representatives of
every shade of creed and belief. The
preacher works for the welfare of his
creed His orders are clear and his
purpose high, and his is hand that
moulds the character Of the rising
generation, and soothes the fears of
those nearing the margin of human
affairs. And the pulpit has Its ad-.
vantages. AS a rule the preacher
stands before a select audience COM
posed largely of the most intelligent
and moral element Of the community.
The editor speaks to all humanity-all
grades of intelligence and character.
But today the editor who is worth
while has discovered his mission.
recognizes his pasterate- and studies
his clientele. He forgets the critic
the great human mind of the mass.
with all it's faults, all its weaknesses,
all its strength, all its character and
all it's intelligence, for that is Gods
people and His work. The editorial
writer who has not come to a full
realization of this has thus far missed
the attribute that should have been his
first recommendation.
The unchurched man pussy foots
away from the minister, but he can
not always dodge the practical shafts
that come to him from unexpected
angles in his newspaper. To our mind
all callings are sacred but to think
for a moment that the passionate of the
editor of the great daily newspaper of
today is not more sacred than any
other would rob us of much real in
spa ALVIN. Ac CoilOt 0OcS uOt
ways write as he would but as his
judgment tells him he must. 1t is
necessary for the successful pastor to
sometimes jar his flock. They fall
into the lazy habit of enjoying their
religion rather than of taking it out
into the byways and making it worth
something to those who know not the
word. 1t is also necessary for the
editorial writer to jar his readers and
set them to thinking on their own
hook. The dead level, conservative
and careful writer is a useless spoke
in the wheel of progress. He is of
about as much use as stepladder
with which to pick strawberries.
The real pulpit orator does not ex-
pect, does not want. his hearers al
ways to agree with him, for they
would simply acquiesce and never
think beyond the line he drew. The
alive editor does not wish all his read
ers to always agree with him, for he
knows that 10 do SO would end his use
fulness. When ae can set his readers
TO thinking by attempting to con-
trovert him, he knows that they are
really advancing the lines of reason
ing power, and that is his job.
1t is no compliment to the minister
or the editor to say of them that they
never set the public by the ears. The
editor or the pastor who does not is
not living up to his calling. The
preacher, the editor, the teacher, If
they are worth their salt. are the best
loved and best hated Of men. The edi-
tor and the teacher should be good
preachers, not with Bible and text, but
with thoughts that will hit where the
preacher cannot; with deeds and
words that match the preachers own;
with everlasting practice and pointing
out of right principles: devotion to
hard. sane. practical throwing in Of
wholesome thoughts and actual re-
ligious interpretations of life that will