The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-04-27


thousands; and to.day-we may as vel
acknowledge 1t - not-the religious and
secular newspapers are the great educa
tors Of the country.
/ ind no difficulty In accounting fol
the worlds advance. Four centuries
ago, in Germany, in courts OF justice
men fought with their fists to see who
should have the decision of the courts
and il the judges decision was unsatis.
factory, then the judge fought with coun,
sci Many of the lords could not read
the deeds OF their own estates What has
made the change?
"Books," you say.
No, sirl The vast
MAJORITY OF CITIZENS DO NorREAD BOOKS
Take this audience, or anv Other promis
cuous Assem- blage, and how many histo
ries have they readi How many treati
ses on constitutional law, or politica
economy, or works of sciencep How
mauy elaborate poems or books of trsv
Ell ? How much OF Boyle, or De Tocque
vile, or Xsnophen, or Herodo,us, OF
Percival2 Not many! In the Unitec
States the people would not average on,
such book year for each individual
Whsnce. then, this inteIligence-this CO
pacity to talk about sll themes, secular
and relisious-this acquaiatance with
science and art-this power to appreciat,
the beautiful and grandp Next to tht
Bible, the ne newspaper-swift-winged ani
every where present, flying over the fen
ces, showed under the door, tossed into
the counting houses, laid on the work
bench, 'hswked through the cars! AL
read II, white and black, German, Irish
man. Swiss, Spsniard. American, old ant
young, good and bad. sick and we'll, be
fore breakfast and alter tea, Monday NOR
ming. Saturday night, Sunday and weel
day. nk M @
Inow declare that ] consider the news
paper to be the grand agency by which
the gospel isto be preached. ignoranc'
cast out, oppression dethroned ,crime ex
tirpated, the world raised, heaven rejoic
ed, and God gloriged.
In the clanking Of The printing press
as the sheets 6s out, hear the voice o
the Lord Almighty proclaiming to all th,
dead nations OF the earth, "Lazarus. com,
forth!' and to the refreshing surges u
darkness, "Let there be light!' In many
OF our city newspapers, protesting nc
more than secular information. there hav,
appeared during the past ten years som,
of the grandest appeals in behalf Of re.
ligion, and some of the mos: effectiv,
interpretations Of Gods governmen
among the nations.
There are only
TWO KINDS OF NEWSPAPERS
the one good, very good, the othel
bad, very bad. A newspaper may b,
started with an undecided character, bu
after It has been going on for years
every body finds out Just what 1t is; and
it is very good or 1t is very bad. Th,
one paper is the embodiment OF news
the ally OF virtue. the foe OF crime, the
OF elevated taste, the might
est agencv on earth for making the world
better. The other paper is a brigant
amid moral forces, it Is besimer o.
reputation, 1t is the right arm of deatt
and hell, il is the mightiest agency in the
universe for making the world worse ant
battling the csuse Of God. The one az
angel OF intelligence and mercy ;the othel
q iend of darkness. Between this Arch
angel and this Fury is to be fought th'
great battle which is to decide the fate o
the world. II you have any doubt as te
which is to be victor. ask the prophecies
ask God; the chief batteries with whict
He would vindicate the right and thun
der down the wrong. have not yet beer
unlimbered. The great Armageddon o
the nations is not to be fought witt
swords, but with steel pens; not will
bullets. but with type; not With cannon
but with lightning perfecting presses
and the Sumters, and the Moultries, ant
the Pulaskis. and the Gibraitsrs of tha
conflict will be the editorial and reporto
rial rooms Of our great newspaper es
tablishments. Men OF the press, unde
God you are to decide whether the hu
man race shall be saved or lost. Coz
has put more tremendous responsible
ty upon you than upon any other clas
Of persons. What long strides your pro
fession has name in influence and powe
since the day when Peter Shelter invent
ed cast metal type. and because tw,
hooks were found just alike they were as
cribed to the work OF the devil; ant
books were printed on strips Of bamboo
and. Rev. Jesse Glover originated th
first. American printing press; and th
Common Council OF New York, In sol
emn resolution, offered E40 to any prin
ter who would come there and live; ant
when the Speaker of the House OF Par
lament in England announced with in
dignation that the. public prints had re
cognizsd some OF their doings; until il
this day. when We have in this country
Eve hundred skilled photographers, ant
about thirteen thousand newspapers prin
ting. in one year, two billion. Eve hun
dred million copies.
THE PREss AND THE TELEGRAPH
have gone down into che same greet bar
vest Geld to reap, and the telegraph cay
to the newspaper: ,I'l rake while vol
hind" and the iron teeth OF the TELEGRAPH
are set down OF one end of the harves
field and drawn clean across, and th
newspaper gathers up the sheaves, set
ting down one sshesf on the breakfas
table 10 the shape of a, morning news
paper, and putting down kpother shea
on the tea table in the shape of sn even
ing newsL aper; and that man who neithe
reads nortakes q newspaper would b
curiosity. What vest progress sine
the day when Cardinal Wolsley declare,
that either the printing press must g,
down, or the Church of God must p
down, to this time. wheu the printin,
press and the pulpit are in combination
and man on the Sabbath day ma
preach the Gosple to FIVE hundred peo
Pile, while on Monday morning, throug
the secular journals, be may preach ths
Gospel 10 millions.
notwithstanding all this that you hav
gained in position and influence, men o
the press. i.
HOW MANY WORDS OF SYMPATHY
do you get during the course OF a year
Not ten. How many sermons OF prac
tical helpfulness for your profession al
preached during the twelve months