The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-12-17
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.

Of the large daiIes that has stood out
against a Sunday issue, has at length
sUccumbed. The argument for 1t IS the
specious but convincing One-OtberS do 1t
and ne must too. Our patrons demand
it, and if we refuse to sell they simply
90 elsewhere. After long efforts to
resist it we are thus finally forced to see
the imperative business necessity Of CIV
ing our patrons what they want rather
than drive them to our rivals. The
editor adds: 1--WE shall hope to make our
Sunday issue such that even the most
scrupulous of our readers will reJolce IN
it as an improvement over the Sunday
publications which it will displace.
We are very sorry that the Tribune
has come to this conclusion, and has yield
ed a high moral principle to business
necessity. We have taken and read that
journal with peculiar satisfaction because,
not publishing a Sunday edition, it gave
a specially rich number on Saturday, and
allowed its readers on Monday morning
to have all the news up to that date, not
tantaEzing them with brief reference to
some important item Of intelligence which
had appeared in fullin the Sunday issue.
The argument used by the Tribune in
justification of step, which by its own
confession has heretofore been resisted, Is
a poor one. "Om patrons have long
urged their right to get from us what we
have to sell, at the time when they want
to buy. Let US see how widely this
reasoning may apply. There ls'a large
class of people who have leisure on Sun
day, and would like to do their shopping
on that day if the dry goods and fancy
stores were open. Should any amount Of
pressure be allowed to force open the
stores on Broadway and the avenues for
regular trade on the Sabbath? Again
there is very large class who patronlze
the dealers in liquors, and they are gen
orally thirsty on Sunday. A great many
ofthem have more money and more Iels-
ure on that day to enjoy the luxurles OF
the bar, and they have long urged and
still urge their right to get from the Il
ouor dealer what he has to sell, at the
time when they want to buy. The Tn
b,lae hasfurnishe1 very convenient plea
for the Sunday liquor traffic, and indeed
for all kinds of traffic on Sunday Ac-
cording to this argument mans custom
ers have right to demand his goods just
whenever they have a mind to buy them
They have right to his time and his
conscience too, and he has nothing to say
and nothing to do but to yield to bust
ness necessity. This reasoning will hard
Iy do for a journal like the Tribune. 81
lence would have been better than such a
plea.
The Sunday newspaper is one of the
sad legacies of the war. During those
wears of painful excitement when the
telegraph brought news on Saturday
night from the battle field, it was natural
that those who had friends IN the army,
and others too, should feel painful anx-
iety to learn the latest intelligence. 1t
seemed a work of mercy if not Of neces-
sity to issue a paper on Sunday. But
war measures should cease now that peace
has returned. After reading a Saturday
evening paper we can well afford to wait
until Monday to know what robberles and
murders, and political schemes have since
transpired.
There is really no excuse whatever for
Sunday newspapers. They are a ire
mendous obstacle in the way Of religious
culture for which the Sabbath day has
been appropriated by the Lord OF the
Sabbath. They come down upon the
community like an avalanche Of ice, chill
inc the warm feelings of religious devo-
ton which the morning hours OF the Sab
bath should inspire, and burying the soul
in worldliness. The publication Of Sun
day newspapers under the plea that adj
vertisers demand them, has no moral ar
gument to defend it. 1t is altogether
Worldly enterprise for worldly gain, re-
gardless of any question of morality or
TeIgion. Business necessity, it Is urged,
REQUIRES it. 1t is carrying the world
right along through all the days OF the
wear blotting out holy time, and placing
temptations in the way of multtudes,
who but for the racy Sunday morning
paper full of extra attractions, might
spend the Sabbath morning in the house
Of God.
But, since the Sunday newspaper is an
accomplished fact, it becomes every Chris
tian to consider we'll his duty in reference
to it. A banker or a business man can
not afford to spend business hours in mis-
celIaneous newspaper reading or gossip
inc. No more can Christian afford to
take the precious hours of the Sabbath
for secular reading. He needs them for
business with his God, and for laying up
treasures in heaven. The language OF
DR.. 7. L. CuyIer in the Evangelist Of last
,,,oel- NAV nroDerlv be quoted here. he