The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-28
ROANOKE, VA. JUNE IS, 1892.
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.


The Sunday newspaper is subject
which has often been discussee hereto
fore in various localities and is now ex-
citing considerable comment, pregnant
with adverse criticism, from various
pIlpits. We are impressed with the
fact that the reverend gentlemen are
actuated by the purest and best motives
and deem themselves arming in holy
cause to go forth and Stay dragon of
unrighteousness.
II this all be truly the case-if the
Sunday newspaper were really the I'M
clean beast with the seven heads OF un.
righteousness and ten horns Of corrup-
ton that it is painted, THE TIMES would
be the last to raise its feeble voice in
defense of its existence. But is this
true? 1t is urged that the Sunday paper
is filed with court trials, divorce pro.
ceediags, tales of robbery, rapine and
murder. that render it unfit reading for
the Sabbath day. Whether any reading
matter that 10 not thoroughly religious
is fit for the Sabbath day is an open
question, and if tried by the highest
moral court the Judgment would be,
perhaps, that it is not
But until the dawn of the millennium
men will demand and will read on Sun
days literature that is not sacred in it's
nature, and If you deprive them of the
Sunday newspaper they will not content
themselves with studying tie philos-
ophy OF human existence from the
sublime effusions OF the afflicted sage,
or consent to regale theirsssouls in the
sweet harp notes OF the divine poet
of Israel. They will find in novels and
magazines that worldly matter Of which
they have been deprived in the Sunday
paper, and in it's moral and religious
tone the substitution will be no improve.
ment. The Sunday newspaper pub
fishes the commission of crimes and the
trials thereof, but no more than during
the rest of the week, and the recording
of every crime in the category of crimes
may be brought against a more import
ant and serious publication than any
newspaper ever was or may hope to be.
1t is not the Sunday paper that is the
dehowerer OF morals. Strength and
purity lie not in ignorance, but in
knowing the truth and this truth the
reputable newspaper seeks, to promul-
gate to the world so that men may know
the clean from the unclean, the honest
from the dishonest II we are to have
secular literature for Sabbath reading,
and OF this fact we are convinced until
man shall change his nature, it is in
finitely better that he should read that
which in its effects is educating and
enlightening and for the Sunday news
paper we unhesitatingly claim that
merit
There is but one more point to which
we desire to call the attention of those
who would abolish the Sunday paper.
1t is we'll known fact that the labor
expended in preparing the Sunday issue
is all, or nearly all, performed on Sat
urday. I no paper be issued on the
Sabbath day that gives to the employees
ahollday on Saturday-but on Sunday
every man of them would be compelled
to labor all day in order to issue the pa
per on Monday. This is day of rest
which is rs much needed and is as sweet
to the newspapers man as to others. and
in all fairness and justice this class of
men should not be compelled to labor
on day so universally devoted to rest.
flTIa TYRES, 10 minutes. sidelineers. sol Jer'p