The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-04
THE RELIGIOUS JOURNAL.
An Educative Power Which Weekly
Reaches Millions of the People.
Some Account of the Growth and Develop
ment of the Religious Weeklies-Their
Circulation and Influence.

religious newspapers published in the United
States and Canada and the best authorities
agree that the combined circulation of these ls
about $4,000 Experts in newspaper circula-
ton consider that for each subscriber weekly
family journal may count four readers. Ii tins
be true. the religious press may claim an audi
ence of about 10 O0O O0O When we consider the
proportion of our population who are too young
or too illiterate to read at ALL it may be said that
literary teachers of morality can claim a follow
ing that will cause the agnostics, the nfdels ana
even Mr.. Ingersoll to doubt for moment the
success Of their efforts 1t is undoubtedly true,
however, that many heads of families buy ren
gious journals because they consider 1t to De
their duty to do So or for the reason that they
have faint hope that their children VIII De
induced to peruse them. For them
selves they prefer the daily paper.
In the matter of the number of papers the
Methodists take the lead. They have almost
fifty papers of large circulation, and altogether
their publications circulate over half million
copies. The Catholics have forty papers, OF
which nearly 400, 900 copies are circulated. ana
it is worthy of remark that the German Catho-
lie papers furnish one-haf of this number
The Baptist journals have about 3OO, OOU SUD
scribers; the Presby terian papers follow Win
200. 600; those of the Lutheran church with
900, 600, while those of the Congregational church
bring up in the rear with $4,000 The Congre-
gationalist journals are nearly all printed IN New
England.
Then there are other journals, and these are
the most prosperous of them all that affect no
particular denomination but are so written ana
conducted rs to be cosmopolitan and to attain
popularity among all classes. A majority OF
these are published in New York city. they
are well established, well edited, and their own.
ers make large profits The smaller branches Oh
professionalism have of course. their newspapers
of great and small influence. and all going TO
make UP the grand aggregate circulation before
mentioned. 1t would consume too much space
to classify these.
1t is interesting to note the degree of support
which each denomination gives to its press, pro-
portionate, of course, to the numerical strength
of each. In making such calculation it is nee
essary to ignore the various subdivisions or the
denominations, to group all Methodlsts
under one head and to rate the other sects In
like manner.
The Lutherans, though not so strong in num-
bers as other sects, are generous in support OF
their press, for on comparison 1t is found that
almost one in three of them subscrlbes to It's
support. The Presbyterians follow with a ratio
bordering on / in A. the Congregationaiists are
next as l in 5, while the Baptists and Methodists
are neck and neck at i in each. 1t must be
remembered, however. that the Methodsts and
Baptists have to carry the great mass of the
illiterate whites and blacks at the South, which
prevents them from presenting better average.
The evangelical and Christian journals cannot
be classified, since they are not strictly Sec
tartan, and calculation as to the literary
standing Of the weaker denominations
would be endless. OF these various
organs the average reader-one without preju-
dice-would be inclined to consider the unsectar-
rian journal as the most liberal and interesting;
those of the Congregationalistsa as scholarly. and
in most cases broad in their discussions; those of
the Methodists most energetic; those of the
Baptists and Lutherans as most given to cOntro-
versy, and those of the Presbyterians as most
dogmatic.
The journals of the Catholic Church are the
weakest in point of circulation of any devoted to
religious matter. The most moderate Catholic
authorities claim for their church in America
5000 600 adherents and this would indicate that
but one Catholic in every twenty subscribes to
his press. There are several reasons for this.
Catholic and Protestant newspapers may be said
to have very different missions. The Protestant
newspaper is little dissimilar to the Protes slant
pulpit In fact, in many places it supplies the
want of one Many Protestant papers of many
denominations contain in each issue sermon for
Sunday. another appropriate to the mid-week
prayer meeting and a Sunday school lesson for
the children. In most cases the sermons are
good, and people remote from churches read
these papers and neglect the pulpit. In fact, the
that it cannot give. This may explain the wider
circulation that Protestant journals enjoy. In
the Catholic Church conditions are different
Church attendance Is compulsory, and In church
all needed instructions are given and such serv-
ice by the press Is thus rendered super1uous.
In addition, the theology of the Catholic Church
cannot be properly expounded in weekly news
papers. Catholic journals, as a rule. have OBJ
served that the ill-feelng that once existed
against Catholics has been eradicated by associa-
ton more rapidly than il could ever have been
by rancorous discussion, so they have generally
refralned from controversy. In times when
Know nothing ideas were popular the Catholic
press had work to do, but latterly its field has
Ev,affA rich 81
news and personal notes now form a chief por-
ton of the contents of Catholic journals,
and as the liberaity of the daily newspaper in
creases the Catholic press will be left almost
without mission. Catholics however, support
two reviews--one a monthly and one quarterly
and they also boast of the possession of two
daily newspapers-one in ST. Louis, printed In
German. and one in Montreal. printed In English.
So far as daies are concerned, however, the
Mormons-if it be technically correct to rate
them as religious body-have two prosperous
daily newspapers In Salt Lake City, and, until
recently, another in Ogden City. The attempts
made by Protestant denominations to establish
religious dailies have invariably met with failure
the most recent example being the late Daily
Witness. 1t would seem that no religious body
can hope for more success. 1t is because of the
constant struggles between the Catholics and the
Orangemen in Canada that the Montreal Catholic
paper before mentioned has been able to exist.
Even under these circumstances 1t has several
times oeen Iorceo TO suspend puDIcatlon. As
for the religious daily In St Louis, it is religious
enough for st. Louis and to make 1t SO does not
worry its editors great DEAL
1t is peculiar fact that nearly all of the best
papers published by the Protestant sects are
edited by clergymen, while nearly all of the lead
ing journals that defend the Catholic faith have
laymen as editors 1t might be supposed that
being religious in tone these journals would be
above the practice of wranglng and quarrene
in the manner that is supposed to be peculiar te
the moral crossroads sheet. But such is not the
| case. Some of the narrowest and most bitter
| writer's in journalism are to be found on the
religious press, and discussions more numerous
| and personal than the much-abused daily news
paper ever INDUCES In are to be found in jour
mails whose editors sign d. ID. after their names
There are q variety of titles to be noticed in
looking over the list of our religious newspapers
The Methodists are the most consistent in nam
ing their papers, for they have no less than TWEEN