The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-06-25

truth. This is right an1 tn IS wrong" !"
The only power to-day that lays its
hand on wroDg-doing in this city is the
power that sit 8 in those tall towers down
town. We have seen that the newspaper
editor hasassumed this prophetic function
and has sat beside him that read and
instructed him. Now, because the edi-
tor had grown to this enormous stature,
because he had come to be moral
teacher and leader, a preacher for the
masses, we find that he tnok to preach
ing on Sunday. That is all. The Sun-.
day newspaper was born because the
newspaper press had taken its stand
upon the platform where the prophets Of
God once stood. 1t is here because it is
doing the work that used to be done by
the pulpit, but which the pulpit was
neglecting. That is why the press grad
ually became the moulder and fashioner
and director of the moral sentiment of
the world.
"There are some who say that the
Sunday newspaper was started because
of the money there was in it. That will
not do. No newspaper can exist for any
length of time that does not appeal to
the moral consciousness of constituent
cy. That is the condition upon which
all newspapers exist, whether week day
or Sunday. No purely commercial rea-
son can account for the tremendous
power of the weekday press; and you
might just as we'll attribute the power of
the Sunday press to that sourcs as the
week day. TO say that the Sunday news
paper was born purely for money spec-
ulation is false, every inch of it. 1t was
born because the week day press had al
ready assumed the functions of the
teacher, and it had to preach on Sunday,
because Sunday was the best day of all
the week to preach on. l would just as
willingly preach on Monday as on Sun
day it I could preach to better account
II could draw a larger congregation on
Monday than on Sunday would preach
on Monday and close up Sunday.
Gas congregations go, am preaching
this morning to a very good congrega-
tion. In this city there are 500 preach
ers addressing the people from their
different pulpits to-day. To how many
people do you think we 500 preachers
will speak to-day? To about one hun
dred and fifty thousand. Not more than
that with these threatening skies above
| US. This morning those great, sthrob-
bing cylinders paused about 12 o'clock,
perhaps a little later; and those wagons
went rolling from end to end of this
great city, they took out this message
that had beer prepared by that new
power in those great tall towers
men around the City Hall sent forth
their message to million people on
Manhattan Island. Five hundred preach.
ers will reach 10000, but those seve.l
men of the newspaper Offices will reach
million people on this island. The
common people are listening to the mes
sage which this great power brings te
them to-day; and Let nas-tcll Jotr, mor
and b ce, hrep, that this tremendous fact
to day is a tremendous indictment Ol
your m lhods and my methods, and O.
the metho,is tn t the Christian Churcf
has used aud is usiag to-day.
Tho n nlightiest educational influence
in this great City .oddy is the press
and the Sunday pfoss is just three tlme
as good ard three times as strong as th,
week day press. know thar it can b'
improved upon, buf il is bitter in it
quality, better iii Inc matter hat it con
tails, aud better all the way througl
than th3 we4k-tay press You shoul'
pray f0r the rnan tuat cdi.s the Sunda
news pa per, aud yf Il should feel for hin
who preact es to a million people in on
day. God mas put this responsibility o
the editor of the sunday paper, and yo
should pray that he be equal to his tas
and worthy of the trust that has bee
placed in him. And rejoice that Go
has given you the power thus to pray.
J. d.