The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-26
Sunday Newspapers.

Tn the report on the state Of the Church
submitted to the Virginia Episcopal Council
Rev. L. w. Burton, OF this city, chairman OF
the committee. says:
"The Sunday newspaper is scandaliz.ng
influence more potent than the thoughtess
can even imagine. Published under the
specious plea that it permits the few indlvd-
uas connected with the paper to ENJOY
Sunday. it lets loose on that holy
day upon the community and lmpels
with the most rapid power OF
steam throughout the countryside h0od oi
exciting and engTosslng worldllness. No one
more than your committee can value the
friendly interest and helpfulness Of the press
in all religious enterprises and church inst-
tutOns. And your committee recognizes thai
the Sunday paper is furnished 10 satisfy
voracious public demand, as well as a Dusl-
ness enterprise
AS The State is an evening paper. it does
not publish Sunday edition. and. therefore,
il can speak disinterestedly on this subject
The States conviction, alter observation. l.
that so far from being an injury to com
munity the Sunday newspaper IS a benefit
from purely moral standpoint. We think
n perusal of the columns OF our
esteemed contemporaries. the Dispatch and
TINES, will show this The contrary view
comes entirely from a nasty consideration OF
the matter These papers, like the average
much healthful reading besides the mere news
Of the day. In some households the weekly
religious paper is put aside 10 be read
SUNDAY, and is closely read. Now the
average paper of this class has. besides It's re-
lgious news, secular news. Many OF them
have a summary of the news Of the week
They have book reviews. they have stories,
they have editorial discussions of secular mat
ters-sometimes of the crimes of the day
There is little difference between reading such
papers and reading the Sunday newspaper
We can detect no harm in the reading OF
either. Our ministerial friends confess
that the press Is ever ready to help
religious enterprises. Why then should
they think that the press Is willing TO do an
irreligious thing? One very important point
in this connection is overlooked by anti-Sun-
day newspaper critics. They forget that q
large majority Of the inhabitants of cities ara
early risers. These are mechanics. clerks and
others who have 10 be at their cailings by 7
O'Clock Therefore, these men have accord
ing TO habit breakfast by o'clock
Sunday mornings Church does not begin
four long hours on their hands Idleness IS
the parent of evil, and therefore many men
drop into mischief on the Sunday mornings
before church time Some drink or loaf and
spend the time unprottably. With the am
pie columns of the Sunday morning news
paper before them. they are encouraged
10 rest Mt home and read until church
time. They are encouraged into the
reading habit-one of the best habits
man can acquire. They are, in meas
ure. educated. We candidly believe that
the Sunday newspaper is one Of the best aids
TO morality in the community, for the reason
that it is steadily getting the masses to read
more. There is a demand for it, Of course,
and the Sunday paper is steadily growing IN
the quality Of the matter it gives It's readers.
Ii is the idle mind left TO itself that works out
the greatest amount of evil. and the news
paper prevents this mind from feeding ON it.
self State.