, 1889-04-11
FOWER OF THE PRESS.

The Mission of the Inkhorn, or
the Problems of City Literature"
was discussed by Rev. Louis A.
Banks in the pulpit of St Johns NJ.
f. Church, South Boston, Sunday
morning. His text was Esekiel, ix,
2-11: Behold six men came,
and every man had a slaughter
weapon; and one man among them
Was clothed with linen, with a writ
er's inkhorn by his side" etc.
There were six men on this mission
of judgment to great city, said Mr.,
Banks. Each mau had q slaughter
weapon What particular kind of
weapon the other five had we do not
know, but this reporter, who was
clothed in linen and carried an ink
horn at his side-we cannot doubt
that his weapon was his pen. That
the pen is slaughter weapon all
history is full of illustration. Louis
Philippe, of France, was stabbed to
death by the pens of his time, and
that later Louis, whom Victor Hugo
made the laughing stock of the
world as Napoleon the Little"
shared a similar fate. Although
Hugo was q ruined man, an exile
without refuge, a tramp without
pass ort, he was more than an equal
for the emperor on his throne. He
dragged the tyrant, emperor though
he was, to the bar of public judg-
mont, and there scourged him into
contemplate insignifcance and OBJ
liyion for his Infamous crime against
the chartered rights of humanity.
1t was the keen pen of New York
journalist that cut the Tweed ring of
New York City to tho heart and let
in the sunlight of day into that
writhing nest of political thieves.
Alas, that all the slaughter of the
press IS not of this kindl What an
nnrivaled blessing the pen and press
would be to mankind if its keen
edged blade were raised only in
menace and wrath against tyranny
and wrong, and always in defence of
liberty and truth!
The pen has never been so great a
power in the history of the world as
now. The streams that flow from it
IN newspapers. magazines and books
are soon to water the entire race of
mankind with their influence, good
or bad. No cause can afford to be
indifferent in regard to the position
of the public prints. Milton, even
in his day, recognized this. We can
not be Indifferent to this mighty in
fuence, and we have a right to de-
mard that it shall WELD its tremen-
dous power on behalf of decency and
purity in social and political life.
We cannot allow our national life
to be poisoned at its fountains by an
apothesis of human ANIMAL m as the
gospel of the future That would be
q crime against the cradle, the mar
riage altar and the graves of our
honored dead.
First and foremost to-day tho in
fiuence of the pen is felt in the daily
newspaper. "rhe salt sea AID the
newspaper sea-" says DR.. MunhalI.
''have alike been SO rapidly and sim
ilarly utilized, that now they difruse
their benign influence over the hall
tations of all civilized men, W,
that we heartily agree, and vet W o
are all conscious that in many
spects the influence of much of tho
daily press is not benign. kno, y Il
is easy to retort that editors ( ,o,,,
more about newspaper making than
clergymen, but the editor often oivas
us advice about sermon maxim, and
the conduct OF our church life. 7 do
not see why we cannot be ion tuaIlv
helpful. The people who hs ve the
purity of society Oh their heart.
have right to expect that ih IS mo
mentous power of the GiaiIy press
shall be conducted with refere nee to
Its influence on the morals of the
The speaker alluded to the evils
that result from the publication of
vicious literature in The shape of
novels and story papers, m uch of
which IS thrust into the ha nds of
children at the very doors ,,f the
school.
The lottery evil was also ,fe,ra-1
10, and the speaker charged rh e Dress
With aiding and abetiiug thi s form
)f gambling, which to his IL ind was
he most dangerous of any 81 ngIe in
iuence now at work. Thou sands Of
'ounS men, he said, have gone to
destruction by taking this inst step.
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