Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-03

religion, the most eminent o. the law
yers, the most eminent of the doctors,
the most eminent of the merchants, and
there are no better men in all our land
than some of those who sit in editorial
chairs. And if that does not correspond
with your acquaintanceship, / am sorry
that you have fallen into bad company.
In answer to the question put last
spring, Can a secular journalist be a
Christian" / not only answer in the
affirmative, but assert that so great
are the responsibilities of that profess
sion, SO infinite and eternal the conse-
querces of their obedience or disobedi-
ence of the words of my text. Take
thee great roll, and write in it with a
mans pen," and SO many are the SUR
rounding temptations that the men Of
no other profession more deeply need
the defenses and the achievements of
the grace Of God.
And then look at the opportunities OF
journalism. praise the pulpit and
magnify my Office, but l state a fact
which you all know when / say that
where the pulpit touches one person the
press touches five hundred. The vast
majority of people do not go to church,
but all intelligent people read the news
papers. While, therefore, the responsi.
bility OF the ministers is great. the re.
sponsibility OF editors and reporters is
greater. Come, brother journalists, and
get your ordination, not by the laying
on OF human hands, but by the laying on
of the hands Of the Almighty. To you
is committed the precious reputation of
men and the more precious reputation OF
women. Spread before our children an
elevated literature. Make sin appear
disgusting and virtue admirable. Be-
lieye good rather than evil. While you
show up the hypocrisies of the church,
show up the stupendous hypocrisies out
side the church. BE not. as some of you
are, the nero echoes OF public opinion;
make public opinion. Let the great roll
on which you write with mans pen, BIO
message OF light and liberty and kind
ness and an awakening of moral power.
But who is sufficient for these things?
Not one of you without Divine help.
But get that influence and the editors
and reporters can go up and take this
world for God and the truth.
The mightiest opportunity in all the
world for usefulness to-day is open be-
fore editors and reporters and publish
ers, whether OF knowledge on foot as in
the book, or knowledge on the wing, as
in the newspaper. / pray God, men OF
the newspaper press, whether you hear
or read this sermon, that you may rise
up to your full opportunity and that you
may be diyinely helped and rescued and
blessed.
Some one might say to me: "How can
you talk thus Of the newspaper press
when you yourself have sometimes been
unfairly treated and misrepresented?"
l answer that in the opportunity the
newspaper press of this country and
other countries have given me week by
week to preach the Gospel to the ma
tions, am put under so much obliga-
tion that / defy all editors and report
ers. the world over, to write any thing
that shall call forth from me ono word
Of bitter retort from now till tho day of
my death. My opinion is that all re-
formers and religious teachers, instead
OF spending so much time and energy in
denouncing the press, had better spend
more time in thanking them for what
they have done for the worlds intelli-
gence and declaring their magnificent
opportunity and urging their employ
ment Of it all for beneficent and right
eous purposes.
Again, / remark that Horny w. Grady
stood for Christian patriotism irrespec-
tive OF political spoils. He declined all
official reward. He could have been
Governor of Georgia, but refused it. He
could have been Senator of the United
States, but declined it. He remained
plain Mr.. Grady. Nearly all the other
orators of the political arena, as soon
as the elections are over, go to Wash
ington, or Albany, or Harrisburg, or At
lanta, to get in city or State or National
office reward for their services, and not
getting what they want they spend the
rest Of the time Of that Administration
in pouting about the management Of
public affairs, or cursing Harrison or
Cleveland. When the great political
campaigns were over Mr.. Grady went
home to his newspaper. He demonstrate
ed that it is possible to toll for princi-
pies which he thought to be right, sim
ply because they were right.
Christian patriotism is too rare COM
modify IN this country. Surely the Joy
Of living under such free institutions as
those established here ought to be
enough reward for political fidelity.
Among all tho great writer's that stood
at the last Presidential election on
Democratic and Republican platforms,
you can not recall in your minds ten
who were not themselves looking for
remunerative appointments. Aye, you
can count them all on the fingers of
one hand. The most illustrious speci-
men of that style Of man for the last ten
years was Henry w. Grady.
Again, Mr.. Grady stood for the new
South and was just what we want to meet
in three other men, one to speak for the
new North, another for the new East
and another for the new West. The
bravest speech made for the last quarter