Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-05
pERroDfcAts AND potfrics.

Our American periodicals are now taking
a prominent and very useful part in pro
noting intelligent and decent discussion Of
political and religious questions. Some OF
them notably so, the North american
RepieU-opens its pages to all sides OF all
questions, when these sides have able
and reputable advocates, worthy of public
attention. 1t is, in itself, free parliament
and writer who Is admitted to its pages
may be sure Of q most well-informed and
cultivated audience, capable of appreciating
and Weighing any points and statements of
facts that may be presented. The North
American took Robert Ingersoll from the
platform and put him on record, in cold type,
where his assaults upon the Christian re-
ligion, or what he misconceives to be the
Christian religion, could be seen by all men
and met and answered by any intelligent
and competent man who saw fit to WELD
cudgel in behalf Of great and vital
facts that find lodgment in the hearts of
the human race. As matter of fact Mr..
Ingersoll might IS well try to prove that
there Is no atmosphere, or no sunlight, as
to prove that there is no God and that men
ought not to believe in one and worship
him. But Mr.. Ingersoll having put him
self on record, we have DIR. Fields. Pres
byterian, and finally the greatest thinker
and the strongest man of his age, Mr..
Gladstone, a Church of England man,
replying to his reply to DIR. Field,
and doing it so effectively that Mr..
IngersolPs rejoinder. in the June issue of
the Repielc, is forced to be SO in
terminably long that it tires out
his most enthusiastic disciples before
they get half through it. And now we
have, in the July issue of the North Amer
lean, which has already reached its second
edition. series of articles on The COM
bat for the Faith" Tor the Field-Ingersoll-
Gladstone controversy,l one by Elizabeth
Stuart Phelps, tCongregationalist), on
"The Real Issue;" enc on THE Evolution
of Religion" by Richard Fl. Proctor, scien-
tist; one on The Bible in the Con-
troversy," by Rev. Robert Collyer, Unitar-
ian; one I'm Vindication of jehovah" by
Rabbi Mendes, an eminent Hebrew scholar,
and one on 1.-The Combatsnts," by Freder-
lex X. Coudert. In this issue we have also
an able paper ON Democracy at ST. Louis"
by Congressman T. B. Reed, which is
very able handling of Mr.. Cleveland and
his administration, and it should receive
the attention of men of all parties.
The North american and the Forum, in
which Governor Foraker's very able article
on the republican party appeared last year.
are non-partisan, open to men Of all parties
and religions who are fair and decent
Surely, democrats land even infdels, as
our readers have seem have had full scope
and fair treatment and they have been
given an audience that no man can reach
except through these two sources. The
North american land probably the Forum
also) reaches the intelligence and culture Of
the country. But it seems that the democratic
party is not satisfied with a fair opportu-
nifty to combat its enemy on free platform
open to all, but has found it necessary to
have partisan review of its own-Bel-
ford's Magazine, New York and Chicago
and the managers have been wise enough
to select the keenest and most slashing
writer at their command, Colonel Dom
Piatt, of Ohio, to edit 1t and to contribute,
TO Its pages. Whether BeU0rd's
will be read much by Others than democrats
f,.. 40 ha hr,t IL anld at
news depots and by news boys on railway
trains, and has such republican contribp-
tors as Coates Kinney, one of whose STIR
ring lyrics is worth the price Of an entire
volume, 1t will probably be bought and pc
rused by many republicans. especially so as
it is bright and readable on general princi-
pies.
Indeed, we may congratulate ourselves
as Americans upon the high and useful
character of our magazines and reviews.
They constitute. taken together, great ed
ucating force, and the average citizen, and
the young man, who reads the
atlantic. the Century, Hdrper's Monthly,
the North american RecieU, the Forum,
the Popular Science Monthly and Bel
foTd's, and discriminates, weighs and re-
fleets, may feel that he Is student Of
great literary and Intellectual university
that he is in school that will have upon
him greater, and broader, and more uplift-
ing influence than he could enjoy from any
other source. He comes in contact with
the best and ripest thought of the time.
He is taken into high and pure atmos-
phere, in which the conflicting principles
In politics, political economy, religion,
social philosophy, ETC., etc. strive for the
and In which strife, in the minds
Of fair and intelligent spectators, the fittest
and strongest survive and prove victo-
rious.
Many of our old citizens will remember
Mr.. Edward Swope, formerly prom
inapt HaSidapt and nolifiaian nf