Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-30
THE SUNDAY PAPER.
Thousands Listen to q Joint Debate
Held in Philadelphia.
PREACHERS AND LAWYERS TALK.
Editor Mcclure Says 1t Is the Pulpit's Hand
maiden in Reform.
ITS EDUCATIONAL INFLUENCE GREAT

| than for good, under the auspices OF tne
Chatham Literary Union last night, served
to draw an audience which filled the Tenn
pie at Broad and Berks street to its greatest
| seating capacity, there being over 5000
persons present. Nearly all the seats had
been sold in advance, and there were sew
eral hundred people who could not gain
admission. It was an audience represent
ing very well the intellectual element OF
the city, and included good representa-
tion of the learned profession and business
community. Two conspicuous representa-
tiyes of the clerical profession were Rev.
DR.. Thomas A. Fernley, of the Philadel-
phia Sabbath Association, and Rev. Dr.
Alexander Alison, who occupied places in
the choir, DIR. Fernley sitting right back OF
the opponents of the Sunday paper, while
Dr. Alison backed up by his presence the
champions of the other side.
The debaters against the Sunday paper
were Rev. Russell H. Conwell and Rev.
Forest E Dagger The other side was up
held BY James M. Beck and A, e. Nc
Clure.
Tho Pastors Argument.
Conwell, In his argument, said that so
long as the law exists it is wrong to publish
Sunday paper in defiance Of it, and the
papers should refrain until they have made
public sentiment strong enough to secure
the laws repeal. Continuing he said:
Sunday papers disturb health. There is
| nothing that is a greater detriment to the
health of this community, possibly except
pipes, than the disturbance caused by the
crying of Sunday morning papers. Take
the 900 coo people of this city who lose propa-
ply two hours sleep each @ ra6ays sunSay apd e
makes an aggregate as long as the slumbers
| of the Seven Sleepers
They add to taxation by more than the
profit they make for their owners by the ad-
vocacy Of that manner OF life that leads to
| the breaking of law. 1t turns people away
from God and the church and turns them
| stroys the influence Of the Bible, the book
that preserves our liberties.
The preacher concluded by analyzing the
contents of some of the metropolitan Sum
dav papers, the work of the agents, carriers
and train boys, and closed by saying that
the Sunday paper, which some vaunt as
| missionary agency, is simply plan to over
turn the religious influence of the Sabbath
and put money in the publishers pockets.
Lawyer Beck's Reply.
James M. Beck began his argument with
the query: "Does the reading of news
papers, without regard to the Sunday issue,
exert a greater influence for evil than for
good! ana SAID:
Living as we do in the evening Of the
century, and speaking 70 az an Sn, au
one answer. The twogreat wonders Of our
century are the newspaper and the railroad.
1t is indeed difficult to say which is the
greater or which has influenced men more
for good.
If, therefore, the value of the newspaper
be conceded the burden is upon our learned
opponents to take the Sunday issue out of
the rule. The Sabbath was made for man.
Therefore railroads will run, parks, museums
and galleries will be opened, mails will be
SAIL meals will be eaten and newspapers will
be published. The ultra Sabbatarians by
their acts negative their own theories. He
who eats an unnecessary Sunday roast
should be very modest in expressing ex-
treme Sabbatarian reviews.
Pitiful Arguments Adduced.
They will argue the evil lies in reading
the Sunday newspapers. This keeps men
from church and prevent their thoughts
from dwelling on sacred themes OF all the
pitiful arguments-against the Sunday news
papers this is the worst. II minister has
some message for men he will not lack
auditors DR.. Conwell does not. If man
really wishes to go to church feels 1t a
solemn duty to go, no newspaper will keep
him away. The man who excuses his non-
attendance at church by the newspaper has
the moral cowardice of Adam. who charged
~
woman who gave him the fruit.
Mr.. Beck then went into an analysis of
the character Of the Sunday paper and
showed how much more of science, art,
music. education and literature he found
than Mr.. Conwell seemed to have discovered
and dwelt upon the Sunday paper as a
source of pleasure to the people, also upon
its moral power with its advocacy of good
and condemnation of evil, referring to the
support of DR.. Parkhurst's crusade by the
papers as being of vastly greater influence
than the effort produced upon the compare
lively few who heard his voice.
Attacked As Destroyer Of Rest.
Rev. Forest E. Dagger, the second oppo-
nent of the Sunday paper, attacked it on the
ground that it is calculated to destroy the
rest day.
would rest the argument not only on the
religious teachings which condemn it, but
civil Sabbath, and judges have decided that
the civil Sabbath, while coincident with the |
man must have one day in seven for rest.
The Sunday paper tends to destroy the |!
whole civil institution. It calls into active |
energy an army of men. women and chill |
dren.
"The Press announces that on one Monday |
there were received 6, 500 letters in answer to |
advertisements in Sundays paper. Wead-
init that advertisements are the great lubri-
Gators OF business life; yes, that they are |
the great force which drives business. Now, |
/ ask If this obtruding of this great |
amount of business into the Sabbath is not
great evil. Sunday papers are simply an
Introduction from the continental civiliza- |
tion and must bring the same fruit. On the |
continent Sunday is simply 'despotism's |
holiday" Concluding, he said: $50 long
as we know that white cannot come out of |
black, and that we cannot gather grapes of |
thorns, or figs of thistles, so long Will re-
tain the conviction that you cannot get |
good influences out of paper that is in
trinsically evil"
Editor Mcclure Closes the Debate.
A. X. Mcclure, after most fattering in
PRODUCTION, gave as his text "Come Let Us |
Reason Together" and divided his remarks
under three heads What is the Sabbath? |
How was it observed in ages past? How is
it observed now? He said:
1t had its origin before the morning stars |
sang together. God Himself declared the |
law of the Sabbath-one day OF rest in seven. |
1t was esr rliest regarded with a rigidity that |
was associated with monstrous lcentious- |
ness. When Christ came thele was Il change |
in its character. The Phartsee accused Him |
of breaking the law because He healed the |
sick on the Sabbath, and because His |
disciples plucked corn on that day when |
hungry. A law existed then and Christ de- !
clared auain Of If w han Ha nrOclain1ed that |