The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-30

II there be any virtue and II there be any
praise, think on these things" The human
race: said the preacher, had reached its man
hood in the nineteenth century. 1t was re-
markable that the advance had not been
carried on in one unbroken line Of heredity-
that the line in which progress first mani
tested itself did not carry it on and up to
completion. Greece gave to the West what
it had received from the East. God gave it
to the Greek to awaken and develop
in US the instinct for beauty.
AWAKEN ave FAM and develop in us s"t the G Instinct for or
law and order. He gave it to the Teuton to
awaken and develop in us the sterner sense Of
responsibility-the more sensitive conscience.
The advanced humanity of to-day had in it
these three elements combined-love of the
beautiful, respect for law and order, and the
sensitive conscience were combined;
rather in developing these latent instincts,
there was in each age Especial agency. There
was the drama among the Greeks and there
was the pulpit among the later Romans.
The drama had been the principal educator in
the one case, the pulpit had been the princi-
pal educator in the other. AS the drama
suffered by the rise Of the Roman power, so
the pulpit suffered by the invention of print
ing. In the last mentioned stage Of de-
velopment, the Germanized stage. the present
stage, the special educative agency was the
press. The rule of the editor of a great news
paper was more real, more absolute than
that Of any president or any bishop. To
know Greek life it was necessary to read
the Greek drama. To know the latter
form and character OF Latin life it was neces-
sary to read the masterpieces Of the Latin
pulpit. so to know the character Of modern
life you must resort to the files of the new
papers. It was a regularity of this teaching
which reflected from day to day public
thought and feeling; that each reader found,
or thought he found his own thoughts, his
own feelings. If you know which Of the
dailies O man reads you can easily guess at
his opinions.
With power comes responsibility. In pro-
portion to the influence exercised by the
press in shaping mems thoughts, in mold
ing mems characters, so was the responsible.
ity Of those who manage the press. For good
or for evil, for time and eternity, editorial
writers and managers of newspapers were
influencing millions of people daily. They
could not get rid Of the responsibility. A
man who would preach tho Gospel was justly
called upon to examine himself as to the rec
titude and unsel6hness Of his motives. How
much more should the editor, who spoke to
thousands for the ~clergylnan's unit! 1t was
a question:, therefore, for managers and
owners Of newspapers to consider
how the next age would judge theipress.
We know how the present age judges the pull
pit of the past. It was charged against the
pulpit that it shielded itself behind the age
and taught an average morality, Did not
the charge apply to the press of the hourl
How it COMPOUNDED questions of religious
winied and leered at the fall Of a professed
Christian, as if to say, "1hey are all alike!"
Howit caught the irresponsible behind the
impersonal! 1t was charged against the pull
pit of the past that it intruded into the family
and made a cruel use of family secrets. Did
not this charge apply to the press of to-day?
What little pity was shown to family misfor-
tuno! 1t was charged against the pulpit Of
the past that it was the m%outhpiece of party
spirit, that it tended not to peace and truth.
How open the press was to this charge! In
was the man elected from the man
a candidate! It was further charged
against the pulpit of the past that the lives
of its occupants were impure and that yet
they taught. Was there no unclean mote in
the eye of the press? 1t was admitted that
the press, in the very nature Of it's work,
had to relate much of which it could not ap-
prove. But there were W ways in which
such work could be done. Wlckedness could
be rolled as O sweet morsel under the tongue
or it could be treated with disgust and alb
horrence.
The preacher in conclusion said he was
anxious not to be misunderstood. He was
not a~rraigning the press. His object was to
remind owners and managers Of newspapers
that they would be judged by the coming
age as they judged the past. There were
good mon among them-some of the best
men. It was a noble ~calling-none nobler. 1t
was destined to have its heroes, just as there
had been heroes of the Greek drama and
heroes of tho Latin pulpit. But there could
be no enduring success without truth and
purity.