The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-01-08
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.


RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS.
We have received from Carlton & Smith,
who have established an extensive and efficient
advertising agency in the city Of New Y FORK, a
list of all the weekly religious newspapers pub
lished in the United States 1t has been care
fully prepared, and may be relied on as more
correct than any to be found elsewhere. Such a
list is an interesting document to those who re-
feet what an instrument Of power the religious
press is in this country. We have taken the
pains to classify some of the most important
statistics contained in this list, so that it may
be seen at a glance how the several churches
compare as to the number of their newspapers,
and the States in which they are published.
We have no means of knowing the number of
copies circulated by each, nor any thing con
corning the monthly or quarterly periodicals
supported by the Christian denominations
mentioned Upon inspecting this publication,
foremost comes the
Methodist Chmch-In Vermont, /; Massa-
chusettS, l; New York, 6; Pennsylvania, 4;
Ohio, 8; Illinois, 2; Missouri, l Maryland l.;
Virginia, l; n. Carolina l S. Carolina, / ;
Georgia, l {; Mississippi, Louisiana, 2; Tex
as, |; Arkansas, l Tennessee, =; Kentucky,
l.; California, ,; Oregon, l. Total "a Of
which 20 are published in the North, and IA
ii the South; using the term South as desig-
mating the States in which slavery existed.
Baptist Chwch.-Maine, l; n Hampshire,
l; Massachusetts,, >; r. Island, !; Conn | I;
New York, 81 Penn. Ohio l Illinois, , !;
Michigan, l; Missouri, Z; Virginia, l North
sl-e-l49. !, 1918. rn-: r-v,--rcr7;
/; California, l. Total b. In the North Is,
in the South u.
Ofthe above papers two belong to the Free
VIII Baptists, and one to the It'll day Baptist
The Disciples, Tor Campbellites,) have ip
Ohio, 2; Illinois, l; Missouri, l Tennessee,
|; California, l.
= Presbyterian Ch1rch.-N. York, 1; Penn Z;
Ohio, 3; Illinois, 2; Missouri, l Virginia, 2;
n. Carolina, / S. Carolina, ?; Alabama, l !;
Tennessee, Kentucky, . California, l.
Total "A. The North has A. the South u.
The Southern Presbyterian Church (includ-
ing Kentucky has 6, the Old School Church
(N.) 4, the New School Church 3, the Cum
berlaud Presbyterian Church 4, the Associate
Reformed Synod of the South l, the Synod of
Missouri l &c.
The German Reformed Presbyterian Church
has 2, the DUTCH Reformed has l, and the
Lutheran 4.
Roman CathoLic-Massachusets, l New
York, 8; Pennsylvania, 81 Ohio, >; Missouri,
l; Maryland, l S. Carolina, l. Total u.
Protestant Episcopal Massachusets, l n.
York, 3; Pennsylvania, Ohio, l Illinois,
/; Virginia, l Louisiana, l. Total g.
CoagregatioaaljSt- Maine, Vermont, l.;
Massachusetts,, l; Connecticut, /; New York, l;
Illinois, l. California, l. Total 7.
Observation-Disclosures n. York, l.
Uairersabst Maine, l; Massachusetts, l ;
Ohio, L; Illinois, l.
A few papers Of large circulation, such as
the New York; Independent, (semi-infdel and
radical, the ~ York Church Union, (radi-
cal and savage and the N. York Observer (?)
have no connection with any Christian denom-
nation. A few others representing Spiritu-
alists, Adventists, &C., need not be mentioned.
The whole number in the list of Carlton &
Smith is one hundred and sixty.one.
There is food for reflection furnished by the
facts here presented. One of the most obvi-
Gus is that the weekly religious newspaper is
one of the institutions of tpis country. There
me large numbers SS,f' rel;;t iods periodicals in
Great Britain, many OF ahem issued every
week. But we are not aware that journalism
in the form of the weekly religious newspaper.
such as we have here, is found either in Great
Britain or on the Continent of Europe
Another appropriate thought is the meal
eulable influence welded by l6l such publ.
cations. They are doing their work for veal
or for woe upon millions of minds every week.
And if so, who Of US appreciates to the full
that immense responsibility Christians are
under to use this power rightly? How many
good people are there who never mention the
religious newspaper in their prayers. How
many men and women to whom God has i'm
parted the gift Of writing words that shall be
"as apples of gold, who neglect to use it.
Again, it certainly cannot be said of the
Southern churches that they have not started
enough papers. Our Southern Presbyterian
church has about one fourth of the whole num-
Der belonging to the Presbyterian name. This
is twice as many as we need, or as can be well
supported 1t is not wonderful, therefore,
that many minds accustomed to view things
with wise forecast, should make the earnest
inquiry whether this evil admits of no rem
edy To make paper what it ought to be,
to make it in the widest and best sense power
in the earth for the defence of truth and for
the spread of the gospel, requires the labor
of many minds concentrated upon it. To
command this requires large income, and
consequently large patronage. Shall we