Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-12-28
BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
The Rev. Dr, Parkhnrst Donounccs
II IN his Pulpit,
Extracts from the Thanksgiving Ser
mon al the Madison square Press
bytcrian Church.
IN. Y. Evening Post.l

mon at tho Madison Square Press
bytcrian Church.
IN. Y. Evening Post.)
Al the Madison Square Presbyterian
Church in this city on Thanksgiving Day
the Rev. DR.. Charles H. PNrkhurs
preached from the text, "Righleousncs
Exalteth a Nation. proverbs iv, 34)
The sermon, which was strictly non-par-
lisan, dwelt principally with bribery a
elections, direct reference being made tC
the confession in the Mail and EXPIRES
that the sum Of $3.50 900 had been cor
ruply used at the recent general election
DIR. Parkhart pointed out first that thS
prosperity Of nation il according 10 IL
integrity, and that this was abundantly
illustrated by history, He then prepared
the wny for the criticism lie WAS about to
make OF other professions by criticlsing the
pulpit, which he said was responsible for
good deal Of the current instability in
matters of morals. Then he condemned
certain phases of the work OF certain news.
papers to-day, and finally he proceeded 10
discuss the growing habit of bribery in
elections, IN the following words:
Having dealt thus frankly with the pull
pit, will there be any improperly In my
going on and speaking with similar frank
ness about (Brs) the press2 No Wholesale
denunciations OF the press are in order.
| The presp is more aud more recognizing the
pulpit ana the pulpit, not only out OF
considerations of privilege and obligation,
is bonnd 10 reciprocate the recognition, and
TO confess to the power OF the press not
only, but TO the services which along a
hundred lines it is rendering to our times
and our civilization. But when we have
said all that, and said il very heartily,
too, II still remains TACT that the press,
the daily secular press, finds 1t desperately
hard work to tell the truth, especially in a
season like that through which we have
Just passed. We are not talking about any
one paper, nor about the organs Of any
particular party, bnt about this fact, gen
orally conceded, believe, that loyalty to
party and TO party ideas and hopes seems
in the estimate oil newspaper proprietors,
editors, and reporters to absolve them
from all moral obligation TO state things
as they are. 1 honor the reporter who
said the other day, 1--WE don't pretend to
tell the truth during Presidential cam
paign." 1t wasn't necessary for him TO
say il, but there is something interesting
in the frankness with which he did say it,.
lie wac simply respiring the air that he
had inspired in his newspaper Office. We
are not going TO criticise newspapers for
attempting TO develope sentiment. Only
by the "developement Of sentiment we
must understand feeding opinion on whole
truths, and that is what the newspaper
will not give us; they give us only half
truths, and petty shrunken halves at that,
and every half-truth is whole lie. Six
mnnths ago thought 1 knew something
about the advantages and disadvantages
of tariff. To-day i am rs innocent Of all
knowledge upon the subject as a newborn
child.
In an unlucky moment concluded 10
read high-tariff journal in the morning
and a low-tariff in the evening, and where
| was when November came you can imag-
inc. The two half.truths that / acquired
condnot be so fitted together as to compose
one whole truth two half-truths are two
whole lies. If you read only one paper,
you don't know anything and if you read
Them all you know proporlionately less.
This is one of the ways in which the
moral obliquity OF our organs illustrates
ITSELF 1t Is understood to be to the ad-
vantage OF candidate that his election Is
expected, and tha, encouragement is the
parent OF defeat and that is rope that
our newspaper man pulls. He commences
his advocacy by prognosiica,ing majoriIiesi
and the fact that lie has only the most in
termediate data 10 go upon is no smallest
dead fly in the ointment oil his assurance
And how the authors-I am not speaking
, now of those cases in which the issue wa
close and the margin narrow, but OF ihes
in which things were 20 far apart that TIN
word "maigln" would he misfit-I say
| how the authors of some newspape
prognosticationH, printed November
could have gone about the streets Noyem
ber z, passes comprehension. Their mos
rational places OF retreat would seem I
have been either abed or at the under
takers. And yet four years hence. il thes
people live (and they willy, they will be :
the same tricks. The like of this ha
fallen under my notice good many TINT
during the past six months in my newspa
per pursual. / only cite this as one illus
,ration: In given issne, printed at ii
head OF n column IN big cntch-letlerH, th'
Mr.. So-and so was sure that his part
would he victorious then that was follow
!, ed by reported interview with the ms
, in question. Mr.. So-and 30 was ms
enjoying peculiar opportunities for reacl
r ing snfe conclusion, and was iaterest'
> 10 know what were the grounds of his RI
surance. therefore read the imterv lie
:, eighth of column. perhaps). Now, tn
A was exactly what was not expected TO d
s l read it, however, aud from the first wo
' to the last there waa not one expression
J assurance in the whole thing, but dire
:. the reverse. In other words, that b
headline was an intentional and dam
able lie; and the journal is not one 'h
:, is not backward in the matter of ehic
a pretension either. am told, howeve
:, by way OF explanation, ;hat l ought n
"a to be too severe; that 1t is necessary
print 40 much that is inevitable that SOL
unfortunate things should slip In al
eyade scrutiny. There is a good deal
. that. a gentleman said TO his frien'
my dear sir, yon must excuse me, b
relying upon your confidence, will you
= me ask YOU If YOU are aware that yo