Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-09
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.
Deacon Richard Smith Secs q Great Light
Why Uis Useful, Decorsus, and Devow
to Print Sunday Newspapers,

Deacon Richard Smith Secs a Great Light
-Why Uis Useful, Decorsus, and Devos
to Print Sunday Newspapers.
cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The business of printing Sunday editions
Of daily newspapers in Cincinnati, and it
may almost be said in the United States, is
the growth of less than twenty-five years.
During the war the demand for military
news caused pressure on the part of the
public for paper every day. Prior
to that time the Enquirer published a
Sunday edition, but omitted its Monday
issue. The Commercial yielded to the
demand for a paper every day, but the
Gazetie did not. The character of
daily papers in the meantime has been
materially changed. They have become
larger and more comprehensive. The
amount of matter printed in this edition
of the Commercial Gazette is greater than
the aggregate of six weekday papers
printed prior to 1860 The great mass of
people who read it at all have thus been
educated to look to the daily press for
mental food-for news, literature, SER
mons, speeches and records of current
events; and Sunday being day of rest
from ordinary pursuits, that is
the one on which newspapers
are most in demand But for this fact
Sunday editions of daily newspapers would
not have been printed; and it may be said,
further, that the demand preceded the sup
ply. Newspaper publishers are not unlike
other people in approaching regularly
recurring period of rest, which is necessa-
toll IA ,4o1I,
physically, but the demand for mental
food has forced them to yield to its require
ments for Sunday papers. The Gazette
was one of the last of the leading daily
journals of the large cities of the country
to stand out against Sunday
edition, or rather to refrain
from issuing a paper on that day
but IN doing so we opposed the wishes of a
large majority of our readers. 1t is fact
that four-ffths of the subscribers of the
Gazette bought and read Sunday papers,
and no daily paper could live in Cincin-
natl that had for its subscribers only those
who, for reasons of conscience, will not
buy or read papers issued on Sunday.
The omission of Sunday edition also
operated against the circulation of the
Gazette on other days. We say now what
is known to many-very many of the sub
scribers to the Gazette they took
other papers in their families in order
that Sunday edition might be delivered
at their place of residence where they could
find it in the morning without The necessi-
ty of going on the street to purchase.
This is the experience of the Gazette Of
fee, and the point had been almost reached
when, in self-defense, and in order to salts
fly large majority of the readers, Sun
day edition of the Gazette would have be-
come necessity. Unfortunately, in many
if not in most cases Sunday papers pan
dered to the lower tastes of readers, and
Objectionable matter, or what is usually
called sensational, was held over or pro-
vided for, in order that 1t might be printed
in the paper that is most read, and that is
most largely introduced into families.
It is true that there is demand
for this class of matter, but it is not
true that it is wanted by the larger class,
and it is forced upon the latter, who must
either tolerate it or deny themselves of a
Sunday paper. In our opinion far more
importance attaches to avhat is printed in
a paper than aChen it is printed.
Without claiming to be better than any
other people, or asking consideration on
the ground of high moral ideas, we shall
use our influence to the end that the Com
mercial Gazette may be read on Sunday
and every other day without offending the
sensibilities of any one, and that its mis-
sion shall be one of good and not of
mischief. r. s.