The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-04-17
BEHOLD. A FLYING ROLL"
Ia mage ON Newspapers and Newspaper
Observation-Disclosures fron His Sermon OF
Sunday Last.

Ia mage ON Newspapers and New I,.per-
makers-EXtracis fron His Sermon %
Sunday Last.
Dr. I. Dewitt Talwage on lnday
morning last preached sermon about
"Newspfpers and Newspaper makers"
H. took for his text Zachariah v. ch,. LIST
verse: hold, a fly ing rolI,' Below
a"e extracts from the discourse:
The newspaper is the great educator Of
the nineteenth century. There is no force
compared with it. 1t is book, pulpit,
platform. forum. all in one. And there
is not an interest-leilsious. literary.
commercial, scientific, agricultural or
mechanical-thati is not within it's grasp
All cur churches and schools. and col
legcs and asylums, ard art galleries feel
the qutking of the printing press.
Whence, then. this ateiligence-thiS
capacity to talk an ut all themes, secular
and religious; this acu tiltance with
science and art, this power to appreciate
the beautiful and grand? Next To the
Bible, the newspaper--Swift-w winged and
everywhere present, flying over the
fences, showed under the door tossed into
the counting house, laid on the work
bench, hawked through the cars, All
read it; white and black, German, Irish
man, Swiss Spaniard, American OLD and
young, good and bad, sick and well, be
fore breakfast and after tea. Monday
morning, Saturday night, Sunday aud
week day. now declare that consider
the newspaper to be the grand agency by
which the Gospel is to be preached, ignor-
ance cast out, oppression dethroned
crime extirpated, the world raised
heaven rejoiced and God glorified
Notwithstanding all this that you have
gained in position and influence, men of
the press, how many words of sympathy
do you get during the course of year?
Not ten. How many sermons of practi-
cal helpfulness for your profession are
preached during the twelve months
Not one. How mauy words of excoria-
ton, and denunciation, ard hypercriti-
cisn, dc you get in that same length of
time, A6Oat ten thousand.
One of the greatest trials of this news
paper profession is ths fact that they are
compelled to see more of the Siiams of
the world than any other pr0fessio ion.
Through every newspaper office, day by
day, go the weaknesses of the world, the
vanities that want 80 be puifed, the re-
venges that want to be wreaked, all the
mistakes that want to be corrected, all
the dull speakers who want to be thou ht
eloquent, all the meanness that want, to
get its wares noticed gratis in the adito
rial columns i'll order To save the tax OF
the advertising column: all the men who
want to be set right who never were
right: all the crack Drained philosophers,
with story as long as their hair and as
GLOOMY as their finger nails, in morning
because beici: Of soap; all the itineraut
boreS. who come 10 stay i've minutes aud
stop an hour From the editorial and re.
portorial rooms all the follieS and sl.amS
of the world are seen day by day, ana
the temptation is to believe neither in
God, man noe woman. 1t is no surprise
TO me that in your profession there are
some skeptical men. only wonder that
you believe anything. Tn 'esh an editor
or reporter has, in his pres mt or his early
ho.He, model of earnest cnara ter, or
he throw himself upon the upholdiug
grace of God, he must make TEMP ,raI
and eternal shipwreck.
Another great trial Of the newspaper
profession is the diseased Appetite for un-
healthy intelligence. You blame the
newspaper press for giving such promi
nence to murders and scandals Do YOU (
suppose that so NAM papers would give /.
prominence to these things if the people |
did not demand them? | go into the |
meat market of a foreign city, aud tind |
that tho butchers hang up on the most |
hooks meat that is tainted,
while the neat is fresh aud sayory is put