The morning call., 1892-07-26
SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.
The Subject Discussed by The
Presbyterian Union.
Majority in It's Favor-It Gives More Moral
and Intellectual Nutriment Than Pull
pit Platitudes.

Mission street. There was a small attend
ance, but the meeting was a most interest
ing one. The president, Rev. L. j. Scott,
was in the chair.
After devotional exercises and discus
sion as to the subject for the meeting two
weeks hence, J. b. Roberts, an elder, was
requested to read his paper on "The Sun
day Newspaper"
Mr.. Roberts said he had not prepared a
paper, and would content himself with
reading from a publication certain decisions
bearing upon the subject The first decision
was that Of Judge in Atlanta, Ga. to the
effect that George =. Rowel & Co of New
York had been defeated in their attempt TO
collect large bill for advertising in n Sun
day paper, which, it was claimed. estab-
lished the principle that the Sunday paper
meant Sunday labor. Sunday labor, accord
ing TO the law, was unlawful Tie second
was decision of a New York Judge against
the legality of advertising on the sabbath.
He also read an article from the AIg0naut
against the lowering OF the standard Of
Sunday newspapers.
Rev. james W0Odworth, secretary, said
the ArgOnaut and Mr.. Roberts seemed TO
demand higher standard. and simply de-
plored the deterioration of the Sunday news
paper. They should not take any such
ground, but go against it. Three things
paper as il is; (2) whether there should be
Sunday newspaper at all; (3 the reading
of what we found in II. He would read his
Bible on Sunday, but he would object to a
publishing house publishing Bibles on Sun
day. lie dld not believe they should go 10
work TO labor for the Improvement of the
Sunday newspaper. but if anything could
be done for its abolition he would be glad
to hear IT,
CHAPLAIN BLAKE's IDEAS.
Chaplain Blake said his first argument
was that no Sunday work was done for
Sunday newspaper, whereas all the work
for the Monday newspaper was done Oh
Sunday. In 1850 In San Francisco when
there was no Sunday newspaper, no day in
the week could be compared TO Sunday for
gambling and generally breaking the ten
commandments. lie went 10 the keepers
of the gambling-bOdseS and demonstrated
with them ana they said: You give
US something to read on Sunday ana
We Will STOP gambling He consulted
with the ministers, and the result was a
Sunday newspaper. and further result
was they had a glorious attendance OF
gamblers and others on Sundays from July
TO November, 1850. He had seen SIS 00O IN
gold change hands on Il Sunday morning at
the corner of Washington and kearny
streets. After the publication or the Sun
day paper he never saw any more gambling
on Sundays for long time. The Sunday
newspaper was not to blame for the present
condition of things. In 1850, during his
trip round the world. he nsver heard but
one oath on a Sunday till he arrived q san
Francisco, when he heard forty. why is
this?' the chaplain shouted. The pulpit
is to blame for 1t; the pulpit who are cow
ardly and fecTeant TO their trust. Ii the
pulpit would do their duty and speak out in
thunder tones against the appalling sin of
the present there would be less of It,
The moral tone Of the press is
getting better and better every year. What
we need are upright Judges, upright jurors,
upright parents and GOd-feaTng people.
We need something more taught IN the pub
Tic schools than good grammar and good
rhetoric. Our teachers break the Sabbath
and then 60 TO teach our children in the
schools on Monday mornings. We want
the teachers TO respect the sabbath and
show an example for the scholars. We
want a higher toned spirit everywhere, aud
a good Sunday newspaper Will do more TO
accomplish this than anything else. i had
conscience and ability on its sd0 l am
strongly in favor of it, but it ought 10 be
pruned OF its nastiuesS."
Rev. W. L. Smith admitted that he read
Sunday newspapers. and thought il neces-
sary for any man to do SO to keep step with
the movements OF the age. There was a
great deal Of good in the Sunday newspa-
paper aud in ii he had found the ablest
articles. morally and intellectually he had
ever read. There was a good deal, of
course, in 1t that a man should not read.
But they might just as well argue that it
was necessary even to read infdel lilera-
ture, for they should all become acquainted
with the ways Of the devil.
AN OPINION OF EDITORIALS.
Some Of the editorials eXceled in thought
and in the teaching Of moral truths-in
fact they were grand, brilliant He had
heard many people say that they got more
sense and actual nutriment from the Sun
dav newspaper TO build them up morally
tel q ba g.Io
from The pulpit. If Sunday newspapers
were not worth reading they would
not get any patronage. AS TO the
morality OF the thing he would say that
people don't spend their time exclusively
in spiritual reading. There was no more
harm in reading the Sunday newspaper
than riding in a cable-ear. He did not be-
lieye the sacTedness OF the Sabbath was YiO-
lated by reading the Sunday news paper any
more than by reading book on astronomy,
travels or a story book.
Rev. DR.. Mattbe not read re-
ligiOus papers on Sunday?
Mr.. Smith - There are some religious
papers that are open to the same criticism
Rs secular papers.
Rev. DR.. FaTis said that the cry OF men
getting more nutgimeni, morally and intel
lectualiy, from Sunday newspapers than
from all the llatitudes from the pulpit was
all hum bug and lie. No doubt there was
too much thin preaching. but no one could
same level with a Sunday newspaper He
had not yet got over the teachings of his
youth that the Sabbath was reserved only
for works of necessity and mercy. As editor
of a religious paper he had TO take the Sun
day newspaper since coming here, but he only
spent ID TO 20 minutes in giancing over il
Sunday morning. and then he left IL till
Monday TO look over 1t moro ieisurely. 1t
was all vapld, meaningless stuff, and would
do man no intellectual or moral good
hot Ia NJ. ffn i.
paper in the same category as morphine or
other deadly posons.
To KEEP IN TOUCH WITH WORLDLY THINGS
Mr.. Smth-What necessity have you for
reading the Sunday newspaper for Is or 20
minutes on Sunday mornings?
DR.. Faris-I found as matters are ad-
justed here that i had to do il 10 keep in
touch with worldly things.
Mr. Smith-lf that is justification for you
surely II is Justification tor me also.
DIR. Farsi do not constitute myself
judge of any mans conscience.
Mr. Smith-BeCause man is an editor of
religious paper fail to see that is rea-
son for his reading the Sunday newspaper
on Sunday morning.
Mr.. Roberts, have been mourning for
long time the lack of interest in our meet
iHgs and the small attendance at our
churches. 1t any man cannot now see the
reason IT is no surprise TO Inc. If our preach
ers get their texts from the Sunday news
papers then say God help our church.
Secretary Woodwork denied that any
speaker had SAID he got his text from the
Sunday newspaper. They read 1t to keen
themselves Informed of the times and to
preach against the evils In it. He read the
Sunday newspaper. and could 20 to church
with the full consciousness of the presence
OF Christ and offer up his prayers without
feeling that he was any the worse from
reading his Sunday newspaper
This closed the discussion. and after
prayer the meeting adjourned
The subject for next Monday is the con-
ditIon OF the 1900 women In the dives of the
city.