Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-09-24
disappointment After Seeing ana
Hearing.


Hearing.
OMAHA. sept 9s.-To the Editor Of
The Bee: At various times in the United
States there has been raised in one way
and another for judicial construction the
question Of what Is the purpose OF a
newspaper, what Is its proper function
In the community. and what It's duties
and limitations are? And the general
rule laid down is that Il IL not only the
privilege, but the duty Of q newspaper
to collect and publish impartially. and
with substantial accuracy the news and
the current events OF the day in which
the public are interested.
Those OF us here In Omaha who have
accepted that view are at a loss to know
why the Omaha newspapers have SO sud
denly abandoned that purpose and offer
their readers practically nothing but
commercial advertising on the one hand
and free advertising on the other OF an
alleged evangelist and his sermons"
his personal affairs and those of the nu-
merous members OF his staff down To
the last detail.
1t Is true. in notification OF an historic
proverb. that people are coming into the
city in thousands and commercial ad-
vertisers are profiting hugely by the in
fiux. but a newspaper fails IN its duty
70 the public when II permits It's adver-
Using contracts and interests 20 dictate
the contents of its news columns to the
exclusion OF everything upon which the
general public wish 70 keep informed.
We deem 1t no part of the duty of the
secular press 10 engage In a religious or
quasi-religious crusade. but II they were
DESTROYS OF doing 80. the Omaha newspa-
pers have had before them for years a
far more worthy field for such an en-
deavor than they have now The writer
is a Catholic and not a Protestant. but
knows that there have been and are
hundreds OF ministers or all Protestant
denominations In Omaha whose lives are
Identified with the interests and welfare
OF the city, who have set splendid ex-
amples Of citizenship, untiring, sincere,
God-fearing men. beside whom this per-
vert Is not worthy 20 crawl; but their
work like charity. has been largely its
own reward. and soant mention have
they received. being now assembled like
a group OF delinquent juveniles ana in
sultingiy rsbulked by their llIustrious su-
periOr for their short eomings.
We do not disapprove without havinE
seen or heard. We have done both. The
shallowness. the gross ignorance OF the
man Is betrayed in his staggering gait
and bearing. in his every lineament of
feature. and the same Is, f;1rther itensfs
fled by every sentence that he utters.
Most amusing to us was Mr.. Sundays
attempted presentation OF Paradise and
the Peri from Moore's Lails ROokh. Here
Mr.. Sunday essayed display OF his
knowledge Of the classics. and succeeded
only In disclosing his appalling ignor-
ance. The PERI. he stated. m seeking
the most precious thing upon earth
brought gold ana then Jewels 70 the gate
OF heaven. offering them TO the angel az
the condition OF his admission there.
Nowhere In the poem are either OF these
mentioned. but as Mr.. sunday can think
only In terms Of gold his Interpretation
Is not surprising.
We have said that Mr.. Sunday Is At
liberty 70 preach and believe what he
wishes. So also ara the Presbyterian,
Episcopalians. Christian Scientists Uni