Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-10-29
The Methodists Appreciate the Press.

The Methodist Ecumenical Conference
closed very important meeting in Wash
lngton the 18th inst, after busy and in
teresting session of twelve days. The Con-
Terence, as its name implies, was not held
In the interest of any section or nation,
but was open to Methodists of all nations.
1t was the second gathering of the kind
ever held and is regarded by those most
interested to have been a very gratifying
success. Good people everywhere will APP
preciate the excellent work it did.
The Conference was in the best sense of
the word cORTcrence-that is to saw a
meeting for the friendly interchange of
views, TO the end that the ideas and expert
ence of each might benefit all.
Among the topics discussed the one per-
haPs in which newspaper men will be the
most interested was The Religious Press
aud the Religious Uses of the Secular
Press. The essay upon this subject was
by Rev. Hugh Price Hughes of London:
DIR. Hughes began with history of tie
ing he said, III 1909. There are now near
~ 1000 daily papers. Was il not strange
that this great agency rarely received the
consideration Of the churches? Now the
fourth estate is the greatest engine of the
world. Ii became so without the aid of
the church or It's blessings The christian
churches must face the fact tha; this great
engine Mas in the hands of men who were
in some cases indifferent to the church and
In Others absolutely full of hatred for it.
What were the true functions of this en-
gine: First, TO collect news Enormous
we're the expense and the results. Through
the telegraph every man might know what
TRANSFERRED in the whole world. Christ
condemned religious men who did not
know the signs of the times
I he great function of the press was
the definition Of public opinion. Ii WAS
well to know the prevailing opinion, no
matter what it was. Another function of
the press was TO influence the public; to
impress upon ii the views of the editor
TIE power of journalism used on the right
side was enormous and Irresistible The
great majority even of christians, he said
were so pre- occupied that they did not
realize the evils that existed under their
eyes. For the creation of public opinion
in these swift days. the press was supreme
II so disposed. the editors of daily papers
could render inCslculable service To the
cause Of God. Little was done by the
church un'il recently toward soliciting that
aid. In England. the Roman Catholics
AID utsrians had made advances in that
direction. His own church had been back
ward but now all was changed and the
reporter WAS welcomed in the conference
a. re ~. he
tyr political purposes II should extend
IT. work in learning and recording the pro-
yrrss If Gods work 90 earth. Said DR.
Hughes; United, We and the journsl-
ISL cen hasten the creation of that state
which Christ j. bringing to all lands in
which there is no room for, or sign Of
misery"
Or Hughes excellent paper WAS very
fully and deliberately discussed The Rev
Or. + H. Dewart editor Of the Christian
rrardsns, ii Toronto Canada, held that
the church had upt yet formed a sufficient
" high estimate of the influence of the re-
lgious press and had not used ii to it. full
capacity for good The press was great
educator of public opinion adapted 10
'HEH'N tH' lf4!-N'u> tIdTdCltT ol the FtO-
pie. The Rev. pr Joseph F. Ferguson,
president Of the Primitive Methodist
church Of England. rejoiced that the press
was not subject TO censorship. The
churches should ally themselves with the
daily pre's and give the press their sym
patty. Very few Of the men who stood
at the head Of the great dailies would re-
ject that alliance The great questions of
the day, the questions IF science morality
and religion. should be leait with not 10
the pulpit, but in the press Rev E. E.
ii"S~ Of Nashville Tenn. said that relig-
lou. newspapers had not kept pace with
the secular press in development Rev.
Thomas Suape of Liverpool made plea
tor closer relations between the church and
the secular press.
10 new spaper men such utterances in a
meeting Of the Methodists of the world
are very gratifying. We believe that the
good work Of the secular press has never
been fully appreciated Individual men
connected with that press NAV be rotten
ana corrupt but take the representatives of
the secular press a. 4 whole and they will
DC found the opponents and advocates Of
every good rause and while many of them
may not be what the world calls religious
men. their work has been of incalculable
benefit in advancing the cause for which
the church i laboring.
Il may be We are biased in favor of the
press; quite likely We are; but We think it
might very truly he said Of the average
editor of even the secular journal: g
Know thou. good sir. sud valiant knight.
Tor tu-se with the devils might
And all his foul. unhoy elan
hon arr the peer Of any man.