Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-12-31
Cant and Humbug in Hartford.

Mr.. George w. Cable, the Louisiana
novelist, lately delivered an addreas
before the congregational Club of Hart
ford on The Progress OF thought in
the South, ]" speaking more especially
with reference to the rapid adjustment
of the South to the changed social con.
ditions and requirments brought about
| by the emancipation aud enfranchise-
| ment of the negroes. The audience
listened with much interest, and prob.
ably felt much self-complacency in
thinking that at least the States Of
which Fir. Cable spoke were gradually
getting up toward the high and liberal
standard of thought of the Hartford
Congregational Club itself. What that
standard is was shown at the close Of
Mr.. CabePs remarks, when the associ-
alton unanimously adopted q report
against Sunday newspapers as an''un-
mixed evil Everybody who believes
in lonoring the Lords day was ex-
horted to refuse to buy such newspa-
pers, and to "use pulpit, press, and
personal influence to show their perni-
cious influence upon the community,
especially upon Our young people.n
The Progress of Cant and Humbuc
to be proper subject for the next es-
say read before the Hartford Congre-
gational Club. For not single mem-
ber of the club actually observes Sum
day in the spirit of the report, whether
clergyman or layman. He may 20 to
church once or twice on Sunday, spend
ing there in all only twoo or three hours
bus the rest of the day he occupies
chiefly with some sort of diversion. or
otherwise its leisure would be tedious
to him. They all talk neighborhood
gossip, eat a hearty dinner, read what
amuses them, and concern the mselves
generally with other than purely re-
ligious subjects and exercises.
Even if they read professionally
religious jurnal, they find in it secular
news, discussions, tales, and advertise
mei,ts, and, more particularly, much
matter intended to interest thrifty
formers and housewives-hints as to
the best method of cultivating tobacco
in the Connecticut valley, as to the
raising of chickens, the removal of
grease spots from clothing, the manu-
facture of crazy quilts, and the proper
care of babies. Tie advertisements in
there pape.s indicate that the worldly
wise advertisers understand very clear
ly that the readers do not peruse them
for religious food only, but are likely
to be attracted by announcements Of
medicines for the body and finery for
its decoration-pills, hair dyes, cough
cures, corsets, false hair, jewels, rib
bons, bonnets, and the like.
In truth. the religious newspapers
are published in order to put in these
advertisements, which they seek with
unremitting industry, and without
which they could not be printed, for
they would not pay. Yet the Congre-
gational Club of Hartford denounces
Sunday newspapers because they are
published wholly for financial gain!n
What good Sunday newspaper
like the Sunday edition of The Sun, for
instance-does for the religious people
of Connecticut is to give them the most
wholesome and most profitable reading
to which they are likely to give atten-
ton on the Lords day. Instead of
killing time with the inferior literary
work of the professionally religions
paper, they find work worthy Of their
most serious thought, and variety of
subjects and a manner of treatment
which tend to broaden their minds and
enlarge their views.
Yet this Connecticut club indiscrim-
inately denounces Sunday newspapers!
Fortunately the progress of thought
among the Connecticut people prevents
their listeninng to such cant, humbug,
and nonsense-N. Y. Sun.