The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-11
ABOUT The NEWSPAPER.
The Rev. J. n. Larry's Spicy Sermon
on that Subject.
1T HAS MANY GOOD POINTS.
The Rev. Edward Ii. Coe of New York
Preached on The similarities and DIFF
ferences In Peopie-A Sermon on the
Ambulance and Its Use.

Newspapers and Reporters" was the
subject of the Rev. j. III. Larry's SER
mon at the Richmond Street Congrega-
tional Church last evening. His text
was from Luke XII, 2, 3: "For there is
nothing covered that shall not be re-
vealed; neither hid that shall not be
known. Therefore, whatsoever ye have
spoken in darkness shall be heard in the
light; and that which We have spoken in
the ear in closets shall be proclaimed
upon the housetops."
If you ask me what / consider the
greatest wonder of the nineteenth cen
tury will answer, "The metropolitan
newspaper. "No," you will say, ''the
telephone or the telegraph is the greatest
wonder of the century" The are great
wonders, but they are only servants of
the daily press; they are subordinate To
the great paper.
A great change has taken place in
newspaper work. Ii is within the men,
ory OF many of us when the newspaper
was an individual affair. When a man
wanted to make known his idea on cer-
tain great questions he founded "A news
paper. There are few of this kind now,
but / hope the time will never come
when there are not some such.
The newspaper is q mirror, held up to
the great world and in day reflects
what has happened worth putting into
print. 1t no longer has the moral infiu-
ence which it once had. We used TO
hear more of editors than we do nova
days. The reporter is working in to take
his place.
There are editors and editors and re-
porters and reporters. There are editors
who write what they think and whose
brains cannot be bought and there is
another class who can give you anything
you pay for.
Mr.. Danielson, formerly editor of the
Journal, was the model man and the
model editor. He dipped his pen in acid
and what he wrote carried weight with
it. Rhode Island might have been said
TO have lost its soul when he died. Hard
work was his greatest pleasure and he
enjoyed it as he did his meals.
| wish there were no Sunday news
papers. wish the world could have a
day of rest on Sunday. We shall get a
rest from the Sunday newspaper by-and-
by. It's got TO 90. The only was to kill
the Sunday newspaper is for the Chris
tian people to refuse TO patronize it.
The audience of paper is great and il
has great influence for good or evil. l
believe that the wicked are growing
wickeder and that the good are growing
better, and that the press is helping the
latter.
This city is fair sample of cities of
the same size. The wealthy and bust
ness class Of people want paper with
the business news and stock market re-
ports in it and with other good whole
some news. Then there is the sensa-
tional paper which caters TO the lower
class ofpeople.
Will money buy the influence of the
press? There is more honor in this
world than we give credit for, but / sup
pose money will buy almost anything.
The press is no more TO be bought than
lawyers. There is no difference be-
tween hiring a lawyer and paper. But
/ will say that there are publishers
above purchase.
There are reporters and reporters.
There are those on the small detective
style, who pry into the peoples homes
and get family secrets-perhaps some
times with the itching palm behind.
don't wonder that reporters get cynical.
They hear the minister berate the Sun
day newspaper, and yet he is making
them work Sunday night, taking down
his sermon, and tomorrow he will buy
half dozen copies of the papers with
his sermon in it.
If you are wise man you'll never
try TO correct a mistake in a newspaper.
Let it alone, for you will make it worse
If you try 10 correct 1t.
Your patronage of certain papers will
have a great deal TO do with their style.
AS to reform journals it is strange
that the men who go into them get such
poor support.