The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-02-22
Newspaper Pillory.

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Rev. John Miller, of Princeton, New
jersey, in a letter to the CEristiaa Union,
suggests that pillory for religious news
papers that transgress by the use of abu-
sive and discourteous language, would be
good institution. We have no doubt
that some good men would be shocked if
they could see some of their hard words
set in the pillory. The press, as we'll as
the pulpit, cannot be too guarded against
the use Of discourteous language as a
means for instilling the religion of the
Redeemer. We give the following ex-
tracts from Mr.. Miller's letter:
But let man take up religious journal and
reflect Here is power that vies with the pul
pit; here is an agency that recommends itself as
means of grace; here were columns in which
an editor asked for patronage on the score of
dong good IN the houses of the land the types
were to be friends of the faith and the pages
were to reach the lost, and warm the hearts of
believers with the love of Jesus. There are men
who do not take such a paper, and rarely see
one. They have an idea, therefore that it is vir-
gin and uncontaminated. How exceedingly
important that the press even more than the
pulpit should meet such men with a clean face
Now we will not show that it does not. 1t
would waste our time
How would it answer to revive in some con
splcuous print an institution like the ancient
plllory? Let some man, skilled with the scis
sors cut out from the weekly papers sentences
utterly Infamous Let him hide the names for
the hrst two weeks, and then, if a paper does
not lily to cover, publish it in its after trespass
This might work wonders Our theory is that
as the boys utter it, these gentlemen don't know
what they are saying. 1t would gall paper
to see downright uncivil speech Gagged with
other felons IN a weekly corner I am sure of
the result. No mortal would like to look at
such children a second time I would like to
have some charitable hand engaged, with no
suspicion OF mallgnlty. l would forbid note or
comment, in publishing the Scriptures. !
would make the naked sentences breed their
own dlsgusts. And my reasoning would be
that If a sentence is mean that it cannot stand
snch an exposure to the people, it is a sign
that 1T Is not means of grace and that the pa
per IRON which 1t came could be better filled in
its next weekly publication.
10 show distinctly what | mean, let me build
Plllory suited to some great paper. The editor
might shrink, and call 1t a sort of scavenger
WORK; but Is not scavenger work sometimes
some of the grandest for the rescue of city p
was Hercules out of place cleansing the Augean
stabl s? Let us look at the thing If putting
1t INTO the corner of a sheet and keeping it khere
freshly hlled, will sweeten our American litera.
ture, the editor who does the scisscring should
have statue from the American church
PILLoRY FOR RELIGIOUS BILLINGsGATE.
That DR.. Bushnells should say, as he does on
Page.42O that he has established the point that
d'katoo Is not used in a declarative or judicial
sense, but means to make morally good in
manner that leaves no room for dispute is an
exhibition Of the very insanity Of selfconceit"
We are pleased to see that the Presbvterv
OF Cleveland, with a ministerial role of forty
eight, has eleven Evangelists among the mum
ber 1t is also a pleasant feature in the report
of this Presbytery that it has not w c. to
account for. look under the lines might,
however, not be so satisfactory. .''-T- g.
These scholars are therefore, entitled to a
retractlon of the allegation now proved to be
untounded. We do not expect they will get
It, There Is no conscience in man any
more than there Is In a monkey if he resists the
clear llght OF unequivocal testimony and sticks
to statement which he cannot prore, and which
has been publicly disproved Thlsis the present
status of The IRdepen3eHL'
The - in noticing the Covenant row
in the First Reformed Presbyterian Church of
pittsburgh, expresses anxiety that these people
shall cease to call themselves Presbyterian. We
second the suggestion. We suggest, First
Deformed Church of Pittsburgh If the people
prefer they might call themselves the Church of
the Kilkenny Cats r-[--
On which still another paper remarks:
Very well said, considering but then the
- has hardly yet cooled of from calling
the IndPcndcnt sneak, fool, blasphemer, IDIOT
and some more fine Christian names-that is to
say, given names
These sentences recall the Psalm. Let the
righteous smite me" for it would astonish the
Church to know whom these edi,ings are by.
they are VIGOROUSLY good men, as really 80 as
Luther or Tennent. Moreover Inc iourna1s are
Of the very best. l have looked into none
secular or of a second class. Moreover. thew
are the culling, in the main, of two hours work
yesterday among some old files. We left plenty
OF the same sort. Our original thought Of the
article was insGgatod by worse. "Tet lbe
righteous smite me 20 but query, brethren. was
it to be this sort Of stroke and can we be quite
sure, now that we see it by itself that tbis is
the excellent oil' that fingered so graciouslyin
the mind Of the Psalmist2