The New York herald., 1877-10-22
Its Uses and Abuses as Viewed
from the Pulpit.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF ADVERTISEMENTS
Is the Editorial Sanctum a
Holy Place p

reverend gentleman at the very outset dsavowed any
intention to favor tho rcmotcst idea OF censor.
ship OF tho press; he did not propose TO
assort the journals Of tho people nor to
counsel the retention OF the one
rejection of the other He desired look the press
from the standpoint occupied by those who read the
newspapers and TO ascertain what are the and
what the abuses OF tho press Taking up any first
class newspaper unfolding 1t and scrutnizing H. the
FIRST feature that strikes tho reader tho advertise
ments. Whatever might DO tho readers wants, here
was something to meet them. Perhaps the reader
might not be In special need OF anything No matter,
these advertisements stili had their use The
tumble and chaos Of wishes made known through
these columns revealed In strange ana peculiar
way the thought and life Of this great city. What
hopes what ears passed through the minds or these
advertisers ere the advertisements were written,
handed In and paid Tor Parents whose children wero
missing, poor men aEd women out OF employment,
people with something TO sell, others wanting to buy
something, personals religious notices. all making to-
gethcr an astonishing panorama Of human discomfort
with the present II to-day's wants satisfied to-
morrow's newspaper again reveals new wants.
ADVERTISEMENTS PHILosoPHicALLY CONSIDERED
What picture OF unrest do these columns paint.
Walk through Broadway, up Fifth avenue and you
streets, houses shops vehicles. But here in these
columns you discover what lays out these streets,
what builds these houses and what shops
Here you discover what and keeps this busy city
In motion. And people learn there too that
they are mutually dependent, and that their great
and first need il Tor one another TIL ESQ
advertisements neither crafty curiosity per
init US to play Paul Pry. We do not SEQ their per-
sonaiity, know nothing OF them but just tho little
made known In these few lines. But feel read
Ing them thar wo part and parcel OF community
0f in nd IN nurn NIL
they should realize with fresh force the fact that
they do not, cannot stand alone; that they
virtually related 10 one another. The advertising
pages OF the newspaper, therefore, unfold tho
essential unity OF human nature Mankind whrls
around different circles, is divided by outward
conditions, but the differences merely formal, not
real All pass through the same experiences. The
eye that Is wei to-day Is moiscned by the grief
that has redeemed millions o. eyes in all preceding
ages. Tho laugh tonight is stirred by tho same I'M
pulses which have moved our race to laughter unnum
bered times. No perplexity nor triumph now that has
not been known by our fellows before us. These
advertising columns photograph the brotherhood of
mankind. This truth alone ought 10 knit all together
in bonds OF the closest holiest sympathy Tho rev
erend gentleman then asked hts hcarcrs look tho
newspaper again. There tho record OF births.
marriages aud deaths-a very suggestive and pro-
foundly impressive record, indeed. Take the births
No one could look over them without feeling anew the
awful responsibility that comes 10 a parent with tho
advent OF euch mortal THIS infant coming into Info
SO helpless now, understanding nothing. What pos
sbiliiies does u representY Wha. good, what harm
may 1t DO? Take the marriages. Listen 10 the
jubilant organ What smiies what OF approhen-
sion for the new made man and wife Is God IN the
compactS rake the deaths You glance tho list over
carelessly, thinking, perhaps, may contain
you know, either personally or by fame "Helo,
w'iol" you exclaim. "our friend - Is gone; aicd
suddenly on the 10th inst Why, saw him on Friday
aud he seemed usual" The great procession Of
lie keeps with the great procession into life tho
newspaper that announces these deaths to-day Will
presently cal our kindred to our funeral How inevta
bic Is the thought
IxpoRrANcg OF THE NEWS COLUMNS
Turn TO another page. Here is the court record.
Here find names honored yesterday stained to-day
Sad commentary on human weakuess The great
army OF vice and crime passes IN review before our
eyes, and yet these pinched features these vilanous
looks, are men aud women, immortal like ourselves
Christ died for them tor wha. caused their
rulnY Gould We have withstood the temptation before
which they went DOWN. Turning again TO another
page our eye tails upon the nows OF the day
the department which gives the press It's distinctive
name of newspaper. What diligence in gathering
the items What expense In observing events here
cupled thus far local. Ihey make US realize
that We are New Workers. Here we find that We
form single INK In universal chain, that we are
only members OF large family, that ia ore s nation,
sisternood OF nations, worldwide community OF in
.eres,s: News from abroad. news % from tho the
from tho coal mines, from tho wheat fields,
from tho centros OF manifold manufactures;
news from everybody, news which concerns Tho
whole world, news very latest the very lie Of
earth up TO tho moment oil publication, served up
fresh every twenty four hoursa that has transpired
between the Arctic and the Antarctic aud from Aus;
tralia 10 san Francisco-hcre II Is, wet from tho
printing press. The newspaper OF to-day is tho
Is monument Of human industry. II Is q
wonder OF foresight and insight. II not
only stlrs stir our & sra''tude-it compsls our re- re-,
presence Of the newspaper, 1t represents SO many
praseworthy qualities BY its instrumcnality every
body Is next door neighbor to everybody IL makes
the whole world akin fne daily report OF the doings
Of the globe increases human knowledge broadens our
sympaihics naturaizes us IN overy country and
unliies our race o for the day when these white.
winged doves shall convey peace earth and
good will toward men in their mutitudnous flights!
THE TREMENDOUS POWER or THE PRESS.
Having caulogued some OF the uses OF the press, the
reverend gentleman considered q Few oil what no
thought were the abusez The newspaper being
remenjous power people should not be surprised 10
fiud occasions abuses connected with the press.
When read too much the newspaper, he Thought,
weakened the mind. IL Is oil necessity hastily made
up, and It's views consequently were superficial Yet
the newspaper was the American Bible and the ac-
ccpted standard OF right and wrong. IL says In every
line, with the man In the play
- am sir Oracle:
Aud when opc my lips let no dog bark.
Many persons make the reading OF ewspapers the one
work OF liic Not lew spend the whole DAY IN the
reading room. The rch man looks TO II more than TO
anything else except, possibly, hts ledger IL is tho
poor mans library. Iak OF weakening the mind by
reading novelist Moro intcilects wero unnervea by the
milk and water diet vi the newspapers than in any
other way. The daily paper, however poor the
quanly, contains 10 much IN quantity thai It was
impossible to read II through and have time for
more solid reading. There was danger that the
people might become universally superficial from
tns cause they get smattering of every thing from
the newspaper but nothing thoroughly. IL was uoub
iathers anu m0thers did In three months Our IN
formation broader than theirs but the breadth
oi a paGcake-aii breadth aud dcpth We excuse
the plea that mastering facts But
he desired to ask whether thcro were 0 facs but
events current something good and solid should bc
read every day In addition TO the newspaper.
FIERCE ATTACK on THE PARTISAN PRESS.
Another abuse oi the newspaper hu discovered In
its low moral tone. In order to make u pay II must
please It's constituency VIII this icm help The paper
TO SELF IL so u in. VIII TINS item hurt the
scription iistY If 80 keep u out thus ts business
Is conducted ON no moral basis. Just with politics.
Most newspapers are savagely partisan ''wi II help
the partyY that 10 tho question tnat many editors
argue over every political item Facts manipulated
and made to tell lies. Figures are hocuspocused out
OF all relation 10 the truth Figures WON'T ie, says
the proyotb. Ihdeedi But how II they are added IN
the wrong column. He hoped every democrat would
read republican paper and every republican a demo
cratic paper As things are partisan journals mako
partisan readers The low moral oi tho
press was also illustrated Ia tho person
alitIes II prints. Tho newspaper Of today
he regarded the great gossip OF tho
hour Everybody likes gossip, however much wc pre-
tend not 10, provided IT hts our ne,ghDor not our
solves Many mischievous reports wero thus printed
IN tho newspaper SIMPLY to paDder TO this taste for
gossip, without any effort beng made TO authenticate
them. These false rumors acted like the poisoned
stIetto OF tho old Italian bravos They stabbed IN the
hur md In ftr fl..us xafau nj