Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-05
PUBLIC PRESS IN RELATION TO
MORAL AND RELIGIOUS LIFE
Reflects the Weaknesses Of So otyA Better Type Of Life
Makes Better Press.

credit If he is unrighteous. II there
is an InfracLion Of Jaw, civil G.
moral. or a committal of crime.
such acts are likely to be brought .
TIE pubic light.
Any secret senenning against public
welfare is not likely 10 De overlooked
by the press. Therefore, the impulses.
plans ana plots that may break ous
ia evil forms are held in check BY bet
Ter judgment induced by fear Of ex
posure. II d man is a good husband.
neighbor and citizen it is not necea-
sary news Tor paper to chronicie
these commendable facts. But II o
man beats his wife, shoots his neigh
Dor or sluffs the ballot oox or takCss
public funds L is news worthy Of DiE
type headlines.
The press takes account Of life in
It's badness, Doldness and badness
By exposing the evils, others whe
may contemplate doing the same
things are warned and may resolve
on better deeds. The moral civli
social, phiianthropic and religious OF
ganizations are enabled to see and
know the evils against which thes
are 10 wage war, where they are cor
eentrated, how organized and under
what conditions they flourish. The
press becomes a bureau Of inforrna~
ton. The criticism that the publica+
ton Of the evils Of life gives a dis
1orted view OF human society is q one
sided one. for surely a distorted view
would be given il the evils were not
made known Even the Bible disclosed
the sins Of particular persons and
peoples.
The newspaper as a reporter Of cur
rent events is valuable 70 the stu
dents Of religious sociology, p0litica5
and economic science, for its presents
the concrete. realistic aspects OF sub
jeets which they consider in the ai3-'
stract and theoretical aspects. Besides
giving publicity to the progress Of re-
Egion and philanthropy, the tight
against tuberculosis, the playground
movement, prevention OF Infant NOR
tally. city planning and housing
movements, and other moral and
humane efforts, the newspaper pro-
notes the neighborliness of the world.
Day after day the worlds activities
are recorded. and human thoughtsl
impulses and transactions Of the
different nations, cities and towns.
villages and hamlets are distribute6
and exchanged. thus making the whole
world akin. The moralizer and re-
| former. preacher and church worlxez
nave materials fresh every day fois
the pIl iDAA64O'r HAA44@a
ciple Of the trend of the worlds life.
| II There Were No Papers.
The fact that more religious and
| humanitarian interests find place ir
I daily papers indicate the extent to.
/ which the cd distinction between
secular and divine is giving way
The moral and religious forces Of 50
ciety have in theory been kept In A.
/ enclosure apart from the work-a-day y
/ world. Religion is more and more
being recognized as an essential com
ponent of human activities. in order
that these very activities shall have
the direction of divine purpose. No.
| reformer need lose sleep over the
errors and faults Of the press He
may read in his Bible the laws Of
moral and spiritual progress. but IN
the newspapers he may discover the
daily record which reveals in how
far these laws Of progress In hunna1I
society are actually being obeyed and
fulfilled. II there were no newspa-
pers, or no church. the condition cr
society might easily be inns gfned-
The world has not reached the mir
| lenmum and until II does there IS
still work fer the newspaper and the
churches. CLERICUs.