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A Social Gospel Experiment in Newspaper Reform: Charles M. Sheldon and the Topeka Daily Capital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Billie Barnes Jensen
Billie Barnes Jensen
Affiliation:
San Jose State College
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Extract

One of the most interesting exponents of the social gospel in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the Reverend Charles M. Sheldon of Topeka. Among his many social crusades during his years in the pulpit was his experimentation with the editing of a daily newspaper according to Christian principles.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , March 1964 , pp. 74 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1964

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References

1. Blackmar, P. V., “Charles M. Sheldon; a Man with a Mission,” Harper's Weekly, vol. 43 (08 5, 1899), pp. 769, 772.Google Scholar

2. Sheldon, C. M., Charles M. Sheldon, His Life Story (New York: George H. Doran, 1925), Pp. 97–98Google Scholar. Hereafter cited as Autobiography.

3. The 6,000,000 figure was put forth by F. L. Mott. It was arrived at by projecting estimates in terms of the few American publishers who were willing to release their figures on the book's sales. Mott, F. L., Golden Multitudes; the Story of Best Sellers in the United States (New York: MacMillan Company, 1947), p. 197Google Scholar. The larger figure was put forth by Sheldon in various writings. He estimated the total from figures given him by people throughout the world. See, for example, Sheldon, C. M., “The Ethics of Some Publishers,” Christian Century, vol. 50 (09 27, 1933), p. 1207.Google Scholar

4. Eighteen United States publishers have had In His Steps on their lists from the time Advance's original edition appeared in 1897 to the appearance of Grosett and Dumlap's 1943 edition. Mott, op. cit., p. 195n.

5. C. M. Sheldon, Autobiography, pp. 113–114.

6. Ibid., p. 112.

7. Topeka, Daily Capital, January 23, 1900.Google Scholar

8. ibid.

9. C. M. Sheldon, Autobiography, p. 113.

10. Topeka, Daily Capital, January 24, 1900.Google Scholar

11. Several papers, like the Atchison Daily Champion, put out editions “as the devil would run them.” Bright, J. D., Kansas, The First Century (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1956), p. 21.Google Scholar

12. Topeka, Daily Capital, January 24, 1900.Google Scholar

13. Topeka, Daily Capital, February 6, 1900.Google Scholar

14. Quoted, Ibid., February 4, 1900.

15. J. D. Bright, op. cit., 20. The circulation of the Capital was 65,000 in 1956.

16. Topeka, Daily Capital, March 13, 1900.Google Scholar

17. C. M. Sheldon, Autobiography, p. 127.

18. He made this statement about the activities of the reporters: “When the statements made about my church or my daily life or the conduct of the paper were not actual lies, they were so grossly exaggerated as to be absolutely misleading.” Sheldon, C. M., “The Daily Papers and the Truth,” Outlook, vol. 65 (05 12, 1900) p. 117.Google Scholar

19. See, for example, New York Times, Macrh 13, 1900.

20. Topeka, Daily Capital, March 20, 1900.Google Scholar

21. St. Louis Globe Democrat, quoted, ibid.

22. Sheldon may have acquired publicity, but he did not benefit financially. His payment for the week's editorship, $5,000, was divided between several charities, including the India famine fund, the YMCA, an orphans' home and others. C. M. Sheldon, Autobiography, pp. 139–140.

23. Topeka, Daily Capital, March 20, 1900.Google Scholar

24. “Mr. Sheldon's Experiment,” Outlook, vol. 64 (March 24, 1900), p. 658.Google Scholar

25. New York Times, March 14, 1900. It should be noted that in In His Steps a similar reaction occurred when the reformed newspaper of Edward Norman first appeared. Subscribers “searched it through for the account of the great fight. Not finding it they rushed to the newsstands and bought other papers.” Sheldon, C. M., In His Steps (Chicago: Douohue Brothers), p. 28.Google Scholar