Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-22

The Newspaper Press,
The symposium on the attitude of the
secular press towards Religion, at the
Church Congress at Hartford. comprised
some notable utterances. The views of
Rev. Washington GLADDEN. have already
been given in our columns. Rev. Julius
II. Ward, clergyman and journalist of
Boston also read an interesting essay on
the influence of the secular press. Refer
ring to the higher tone prevailing of late
in the leading daily newspapers of the
great cities, he said.
The best journals are the journals that
interpret best the phases of public opn-
ION and ann to give expression to what is
best for the country. This journalism is
the outgrowth of forces that make the
Journal larger in its range of thought and
III its treatment of subjects than the opin-
ions of any one man who conducts it,
The representative newspaper stands to-
day for collective public opinion as it looks
upon interests as WhOles. The newspaper
is good for three things, the gathering of
news, the discussion of public events, the
leadership of public opinion. DR.. johnson
said : 81 never take up Il newspaper with
out finding in it something which should
have deemed it a loss not to have seen"
When foreigner, visiting the English
y
field that he was surprised to find them
attended by SO few of the public, the
chief justice replied ono matter, sir, we
sit every day in the newspapers" Look
ing at the subject from the political point
of view, Lord Macaulay says as an excuse
Tor the wretched condition of English la
borers in the days of the Stuarts mo
newspaper pleaded their cause" and in
regard TO the value of free press, he has
said "Men are never so likely to settle a
question rightly as when they discuss it
freely" Lord Canning, as British prem
Ter, said ale who, specializing on the
British constitution, should omit from his
enumeration the mighty power of public
opinion embodied in Il free press, which
pervades and checks and perhaps, in the
last resort, nearly governs the whole,
would give but an imperfect view of
the government of England" An Eng
lish writer has called the press the fourth
estate in the realm, and, while its power
and influence are perhaps more felt for
good or i'll in our own country than else
where, on account OF the absolute freedom
of public discussion, the steady widening
of The subjects that are regarded as news
and matter, or come within the range of
editorial discussion, is more remarkable
than any other social and intellectual
movement.
a still more noticeable discourse was
that of senator Joseph X. Hawley of Con
nccticut who is a veteran iourn,Ii.t Ia
e,id
7'','
In lS3O the sheets printed in the United
states were 40, OoO,OOO 1860, H1,OOOO 600 !;
lS.o l,3os' ooUooo, ana 1850, 2,W1, 100000.
~ ihe ll'3l4 periodicals. printed III the
Ohlleu STATES sos constitute the secular
press, devoted 10 news, politics and fam
ny reading III ms presSlS badly irrelig-
louS' zoo save the repuollc. Gut OF the
over oo,o ually papers, not one Processes
10 ne reilGl"us. People talk now or ITS
attitude towards religion, as II this
press We're something outside of that. So
lar as II Is Bood, the secular press Is part
of religion, 1t cannot disconnect itself
from religion, if IL desires to, and it does
not desire TO. leader OF great paper,
Mr.. Dana of the sum- has SAID that every
newspaper ought to be religious paper.
The comments of worthy secular editor
upon fraud III business and other phases
OF life are III accord with sound principles
OF morality, that Is of religion. He Will
condemn crimes that are condemned by
society. The secular press is glad to re
port religious meetings, etc, but there
was time when 1t did not Now tens of
millions OF people, not knowing they are
being taught or moulded, are hearing
every other denomination kindly treated.
The secular press is uniform in that. 1t
never gets up Il quarrel with them about
that. If leader wants to hunt up a here
tic, he must go to "A religious paper to do
1t. The secular papers have been prepar
charity IN small. They have no full creed,