, 1879-05-20


On Sundny tho 1oy. HENnr WAND DEEcH-
IN devoted large share of lia sermon to tho
newspapers. Ho regards them M !" difficult
tiea In tho way Of Christian progress" as
"exorting maligu mud morbid Influence"
as emitting "mephitic gascs That inya<lo our
dwellings, day by day." aa representative
Of Tint side Of mau which is lowest and most
animal" rs "picturo Of that vhIcl, is most
ropugnant to Christian morality and .lelica-
oy." lie atlmits that they 'aro noble clsan-
nels of loarning, and intelligence, and in
spirations to virtue and patriotism" but
complains TINT through their vigilance "nlan
IA shown mp in oil Ills nakodneBs,' aud
''nothing is hidlon from sight" He a1mits
that "if the people would not ronl such
nevs the papers would not print it y; that
" "they expose tho cnrTion il Tho markets OF
~; but, nevertheless, concludes with this
nwfnl dsnunciation by comparison I" Roma
had her e1ad!atora, Spain her bu1l-aghts, Eu-
glapd her boar-baits, md America haa her
newsparera," Thcn ho asks himso1f whether
" This is MI assault upon newspapers" md
replies emphatcally in tho negative, rs fol-
lows:
No more than tpon Christian families or tho
whole community. 1fsdc and outside tho church,
people loYc evil, lnyt thu faults and fatngs Of
men. and 10 have newspapers bring them TO their
DOORS anu with tAolr thousand excctlencics, newH-
pnpcEs to-day were not half 30 bad N those who
read them. IIa had no doubt the rroprIctnrs Of all
daily newspapers wauld bs GLAD to lnatr,ct their
editors md ruportcrs to leave ont all ve ytcwa II
posslble but tic people demand Ii, and 10 tho pa-
pess sapply them with IT,
No fnult eau DO found with blr. DEEc1Irn's
characterization Of tho modern newspaper
on tho ecore of ita being medley Of CONTRA
dictions. 1ta chief glory consists in tho
fnct that it Ia "briof chronicle of tic
timo"; TINT in each issue it presents PM
orn1nic view Of a1l that il "greatest, bost,
mud mcanoat in the raptdly-forming record
Of tho doeds Of mankind. Tho assumption
that the people demand al tho news because
they "lovo evil" "loye tho fanlts and fail-
iugs of men," aud "love yilo viowa," is a
moro assertion unsupported by proof. It Ia
moro plausible presumption that tho poo
plo insist upon knowing tho existence of
every evil in order that they may provide
means for it's eradication. 1t is an old aud
familiar saying TINT one.hnlf tho world III
ignorant Of tho manner In which tho othor
half 1tvca; but this saying il no longer true,
thanks to the newspaper. If thero is
wrotchetl woman starving in filthy alley,
newspaper reporter learns tho faot mud COM
nunicntes it to tho pooplo Of tho ave-
MUGS next morning. If brutal husband
boats hia. vito until hor cries arouse tho
noighborliood, tho newspaper reporter
talsca caro- TINT tho ochoes Of tho
ahricka OF agony ahnll DO heartl in tho draw-
ing-rooms Of tho first citizcns II tl,oro Is
mortal alfray In a dive " OH Clark or stato
| street, tho newspaper not only chronicles
tho fact, but shows in faithful. .dotnil all ita
horrible environment, Its coasscnoss mud
brutality, it's tragic foatures, Its pathos, If
pathos there bo, its moral aspect, 90 TINT
tho people Of tho aristocrntio quarter may
know by how harrow boundary thoy aro
separated from misery tho most pitiablo and
| crino the most revolving.
Docs 31r. DEEcuEn believe for ono momont
That tho poopla demand this clasa OF nows
because thoy "loye ovil"? Is it not mora
reasonable to conclude that thoy demand
| to know Of tho OWL In order tlat thay may
hasten to apply n resnoslY-to punish tho
crime and alleviate the suffering? It mny bo
said that Tho thousand md ono organized
charities OF the present day have boen evoked
by tho newspaper. 1t points out the traveller
who has fallen by tho wayside. II ploturea
Bconos Of wratoholuess TINT the humane may
bo moved to tender compassion. points
out the wretch who prowla about threatening
society with tho knife and pistol, that ho
,nuy 10 restrained from doing evil. and II
tho people don,nnl news Of crime
thai they may rspross anl punish II,
and Of suffering TINT they may relieve 1t, ID
1t not unjust to assumo that they do1nnntl
news OF i,umoralltlos. In Tho higher son:al
circles 1neroly Leoa.,se they "loyo the faults
aud failinga Of mon"7 The newspaper IL
tho Drsun1uond-liglt Of modern civilization.
10 live In ita noighborhooa ia to 1.-Two In tio
broaa light Of day. Who doubts that
thousands OF guilty dcods lilo in tho very
inception because OF tho danger Of newa.
pnpsr publolty2
knowledge Is powor. Tho knowl etlgo oi
MI oyil by tho eutiro community involvoa
the powor ot loyialng why's and moaus for
tho repression mud roforln Of all evil. The
newspaper Is tho enemy Of tyrauts; Il ho!lt
THAR evil tlooils mp to tho scorn Of mankind
and 70 wcnkens their toEuro Of power. lind
lio.ns 1Aosseaaetl tho Newspaper she had ,1ot
boom cursed aud burned by NEno. SAyox.
AnotA was escommuM'catea, put 10 tls
raak, strauglel and burned at tho stake
because ha preactod before tue ora ot slt
newspaper. Had tho newsaper appenrc'l in
tho thirteenth century 1t would lavo opened
tho dooru Of tho dungeons Of tho 1nguisItor
md lod forth ita oaptives, not to. tho con-
al1niug flrca Of thu auto ia .ft, but to tht
ouioymons Of civil aud religious liberty.
Wo spoak Of tho newspaper now not Is nj
organ Of opinion but as medium OF nowa,-
panoramic view Of tho oventa OF the time
A proposition to restrict its scope is propo
sitiun 10 establish censorship, and In thi'
country thero eau 10 no censorship ot III