The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-26

having i0ad Of hay dumped into mr
paxsor on sunday morning. IS 70 have the
contents Of . secular newspaper dumped
into my mind Who. that desires TO use
bis privilege Of rising into the realm OF
nobler thought and emotion and holding
special communion With the Highest one
day In seven. does not indofse this sent
mentf To 60 from the pernsal Of the
average sunday paper 20 church and en-
Ezgs In the un6issracscd exercise Of is
spiritual services, 20 join In song and
prayer ana devouf meditation and mot and
that previous reading Of the newspaper IN
almost fatal hindrance to eli true profting,
Is feat which few indeed are competent 10
perforn- Ii augurs wei for the mental in
tegrity Of society that so few attempt the
task. and that, in fact, the Sunday news
paper either crowds out the church service
or the service crowds out the newspaper.
newspaper is relegated 70 the afternoon OF
the Lord $ day. for Il il possesses the power
TO prevent spiritual impression ii read
early in the day. it undoubtedly possesses
the power 70 dissipate such impressions
ers has warned US that however skillfnily
the sowing Of good seed may be performed
there Is still danger Of its having been only
thrown down for the birds 70 pick up, until
1t Is carefully narrowed into the soil. To
60 frop the exercises of Gods house to the
perusai OF The Sunday newspaper. Is rs If
farmer should call all the Wild fowl
OF the earth into his newiy-sown
field. instead of Fastening 70 get
his seed covered. The protiting in
the one case and the harvest in the other
would about equal If it is indeed desir-
able and important that mems contempla-
lions should be free one day In seven TO
engage themselves with other than every
day affairs, then there is no room for the
Sunday newspaper, either morning, after
noon or evening. 1t must if it is perlsed
at all either prevent such higher exercises
OF the mind and heart or else dissipate the
influence of them before they have had
time to exert any permanent influence on
the character. 1t is the engine of . secular
and matelialistic age. Its appeal is made
TO that in men which responds to consider
atoms of profit and loss, OF pleasure and
preference. 1t distinctly caters to material
interests. even when its influence is not ex-
erted in favor Of what is corrupt ann cor
rupting. Its effect on a civilization like
our own, which is based on Christian ideas,
cannot be other than pernicious. Its con-
slant tendency is to counteract and destroy
those effects which the Christian church is
laboring to produce Whether il be
printed on Saturday or on Sunday;
whether il be Sunday weekly or the
Sunday edition Of daily, this fact remains
the same. BY projecting those influences
into the Lords day, against which the day
should be = city OF refuge, it tends to secu-
larize and materialixe the whole OF life,
and rob mankind of its great solace and
inheritance in spiritual yeritiee.
II could be easily proven that in desc
Grating the Lord's day for itself the sunday
newspaper has led to various other forms
OF dissertation of the day. 1t has been re-
sponsible for aggravating the evil Of the
Sunday distribution Of maij> by the post
office authorities. 1t has similarly pro-
voked the running Of Sunday trains, and
its constant tendency. whether designed or
not. Is to encourage Sunday work in other
dtrectionA For U The proprietor Of news
papsr may sell his advertising space on
Sunday and have his paper crie0 In the
streets for sale on that day. why should not
the merchant throw open his store and
81
should the saloenkeeper be required to pull
down his blinds and lock his front door on
Sunday? Let the Sunday newspaper an
swer why. Now, very important question
for as rs Christian ministers to answer is,
Is there any duty resting on us in view of
these things? Are there any measures We
ought to resort to for the suppression or
diminution OF the Sunday newspaper evil:
II there be, then all threats of impaired in
fiuence, or Of criminal prosecution for con-
spiracy to boycott Notwithstanding, and
even in the teeth of special assurances Of
the hopelessness of trying to effect any
change, duty must be done. Men who are
set to unfold duty to others and urge its
courageous performance must not shrink
from the performance of their own duty
because editorsal guns have begun orattle.
/ believe we have duty 70 perform in the
premises. That duty requires the presenta-
ton OF the matter wherever we have in
huence to get ourselves heard. and more
particularly TO our respective congrega-
tons. Christian people need stimulating
to exercise thought upon the subject, for
there is reason to fear they neither realize
the magnitude OF the evil nor the i'm
portance OF resisting il. To have special
day appointed for the presentation of the
subject in concert. from all our puipits,
might be more effective than TO leave IL
for such occasional treatment as IL would
otherwise receive. The suggestion is cap
able of still further enlargement Beyond
this, believe duty requires that We do not
permit ourselves to be reckoned as sub
scribers 10 the Sunday edition of the paper
We may take. To have a newsboy leaving
a paper at our doors every Sunday morn
ing. going through his training in Lords
day dissertation for our pleasure, should
strike as as so homogeneous with all our
professions that we should neither require
nor permit it. But II it be inconsistent in
us II is not consistent in our people. Can
we then do less than urge upon them the
duty OF similar disconrnuance? | think
not. Indeed we must DO more. Some of
them are purchasers of advertising space
in the Sunday papers Ought We not 10
urge upon them the duty of disseminating
such patronage The great question in
newspaper management a. In ali business
enterprises, Is. Does il payg' Discourage
meat which registers in the counting-room
Is encouragement indeed. and the with
drawai OF paying advertisements frons the
Sunday edition VIII discourage II there.
Nor should We hesitate 10 press such q
measure on those over whom We
watch, and for whose souls We
must give account. even though some
temporary loss should resssI; from IL. for
no Christianity can be robust that does
not carry the cross in It's heart. The 2b-
senee Of church notices from the Sunday
rare~ - sFyffraaszr .3axsrsnsa III IA ersfe