The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-20
RISE in STANDARD
Newspaper Ethics Improving,
Marco Morrow Explains.
He Talks on Business Before
Rotary Club Today.
HARRY LAUDER COMING AGAIN
Famous ROtarian to Visit Local
Z Club Next Winter.
Stanley Copeland and Frank
Ripley Furnish Music.


MORROW, assistant publisher of the
Capper Publications in Topeka, gave
a wonderful talk before the Rotary
club this noon.
; He said in part today:
In the good old days-how long ago they
seem when men gathered around what
they called "the festive board" and wined
and dtned, instead of whining and dining
( as they do now, it was customary to drink
2 long series Of toasts; starting with ITO
concluding with ITO the Ladies@Go God Bless
Them :, Midway down the list was the
f9ds5 no. TO the PbEsSs and If 4 the program
OF the speaker were certain to quote those
lines Of Judge Joseph Story which graced
me me mast mast head OF SO many newspapers in
'tHere shall the Press the Peoples rights
+ Unawed by Influence and unbribed by
Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts
Pledged to Religion, Liberty and Law"
we are Rotarians; ostensibly at least.
believers in and pledged. TO service to our
fellow men. 1t is the custom for each
member at some time In his career in
Rotary to tell his fellow members some
thing about his calling and vocation. I
like to think that this practice was estab-
tising, but rather in answer to the ques-
don-a perfectly proper question in Rotary
WHAT are you doing. brother, day by
your contribution to the sum total of hu-
you give for living ~
Newspaper Is Not Perfect.
b61 this f sBiEt w9nt to fee lords
paper is admittedly not perfect: but is it
contributing anything to the well being of
the race? Has it any excuse for existence7
give the news-to record and disseminate
the history of the day. Is this worth
pose? From the strictly unitarian view
point, the business man needs and must
know the state of the market, the rise
and fall of stocks and all happenings that
may affect his particular business as well
must inew the stafe Of pubic Popinfon
the philanthropist the disaster calling for
relief the lawyer the decisions OF the
which affect his own peculiar interests.
But. I take it. that the function of the
newspaper is broader and more funda-
mental than that. As member of the
human race 1 am intimately bound-up with
ing that happens to mankind is wholly
alien to me: Whatever is, is part and par
short years to live upon earth, and 1t is
my first business and my chief concern
beings, and thus to learn a little some
thing about this mysterious, Incompetent
proper study of mankind is Mani"
The Story of Life.
So, say, the chief function of the news
port nor chronicle the fluctuations of the
stock-market, but to spread before you the
tho it be-Life eneompassing the history
1t would be lovely indeed, wouldn't it D.?
II that Life thus recorded, were always
rosy and lovely. 1t would be nice II every,
thing and everybody were always mice, -
everything isn't always nice GOD
created the scorpion and the Fat tbs make
salf Let us not be nicer nth than as the he
10 r,a1 nm in nj he
laid away in mothers cedar-ehest- Let us
not insist upon being carried to the skies
life as it is.
Now to be sure, all editors and reporters
with infinite wisdom They don't always
see the facts they don't always record the
facts-much less the truth-nnd they don't
always correctly interpret the facts. They
see thru human eyes and human eyes are
not infallibIe. They Interpret by human
minds and human minds are far from per-
feet This is unfortunate. but the editor
is not the most unfortunate of all men At
not have to go outside this room to find
physicians. for example, who are dead Ger
norance stubbOrnness are practically
committing murder; or elergymen who are
sizes Of some of their fellow workers in
the vineyard. But the medical profession,
the clergy, and, in particularly optimistic
moments. 1 sometimes think even the bar,
have higher ethical standards today than
before
sion is happily progressing with them.
Truth and accuracy in news reports; can
dor and fairness in editorial comment are
the ideals of all right-thinking editors to-
day and are the characteristics of the out
standing newspapers Of America Decency
= / have said that the business of the
newspaper is to disseminate the news OF
the day. That is its chief function Sec
ondary TO that is the Interpretation Of the
snews-the explanation of the course OF
lie in arriving at correct opinions. His
function is not that Of the propagandist
less in advocating what he believes to
be the right but he is not endowed with
the authority of the infallibility of pope :;
he can lead-onIy by a fair Interpretation
of facts The newspaper is the organ of
Here shall the Press the peoples rights
maintain" in the end it must leave fully
rights are and what means may best be
followed to maintain them. Much of the
impatienee of cIass-conscious conservatives
Of reformers and other earnest souls, with
the press. arises from n misconceptiOn
of the fundamental function Of the news
paper.
Ethieals Are Higher.
Your speaker has had opportunity of
5n1s the 0ed STATES in tbe as tRrtH
years, and am thoroly convinced that.
while there are crooks in the business.
while all sorts and conditions of men en-
gage in publishing, the ethical standards
Of the business are today much higher
ten years ago. There is room for improve
ment: but newspaper men realize as never
before their responsibility to the COM
munities they serve; most Of them can sub
scribe to our somewhat unitarian motto !:
He profits most who serves best"
Following his talk Marco answered
questions on the newspaper business
His answer to the question concerning
-"extra editions" was responsible for
this extra you are reading today.
Harry Lauder Coming.
Sir Harry Lauder. the Scotch come
dian. is to be the guest of the Rotary
club of Topeka on his visit to the