The record-union., 1894-11-15
Topic of Discussion at a Church
Congress at Boston.
SAVES MILLIONS OF SOULS FROM
IGNORANT PASTIMES.
Draws Their Interest in the Worlds
Daily Life to an AmpIer Reading
Than Work Days Permit-Feared
by the Scamp Who Has no Fears of
the Civil Laws, knowing 1u VIII
Special to the REconp-uN1ox.

Special to the RECoRD-UNION.
Boston, Nov. 14,-"The Sunday News
papers, was the topic which engaged the
attention of large attendance at the ses-
sion of the Episcopal Church Congress
at Music Hall this evening. Bishop Law
renee presided.
The first speaker introduced was Rev.
Robert a. Holland, ID. D., OF st. Louis.
In mastery manner he showed how the
newspaper of the present day was a
search light thrown into every hiding
place. 'Its condemnation turns crowns
to deathcaps. Many rich scamp fears it
who does not fear the civil laws. He
knows not the day nor the hour, when
upon some liaison, some orgie, some
swindling, the newspaper will come as a
thief in the night and strip Oft his false
reputation, and wrap him in shame that
will burn the very flesh from his bones.
Virtue does feats, and whenever it's deeds
are featly the newspaper notes them as
worthy of the worlds eye.
What OF the day IN the seven called
the day of rest? Snail the worlds con-
sciousness sleep then or be moro than
ever awake? For myself, | must hold in
~ ObLA w ib7 Ntdy N0StJ VI sun duO IuOEC
observance of it to be holiest which is
sunny, most olive with light. Because it
Is a holy day 1t IS also holiday. 1t bids
men feast, not fast, Sunday newspapers,
without OBTAINING the few who seek the
highest heaven, saves millions OF poor
souls from listless stupor or ignorant
pastimes by drawing their interest in the
world daily life TO an ampler reading
than work days permit. 1t is their one
book, their museum, their art gallery"
Rev. George Curry, ID. d., presented
the next paper. He said in part: ut
goes without saying that the secular
newspaper is one OF our most important
institutions; 1t is necessary to the pres
ent type OF civilization; it is thus indis-
pensable to free government; it is so
much so that you may safely say that it
is q quasi divine institution. Yet the
Sunday paper occupies us with our days
interest 1t opens the stores for US and
puts US in the midst OF the markets and
takes us frequently in column after col
umn through scenes OF sin and horror. 1t
is hard to see how people can justify the
immediate prefacing OF their prayers and
the holy communion by partaking an
hour before of the world, the flesh and
the devil through the columns OF the Sun
day paper"
Rev. Alexander Mckay Smith of
Washington then spoke.
Richard II. Dana, the next speaker to
support his claim as to the needIessness
Of Sunday newspapers, used the sum-
mary OF a particular newspaper, showing
the matter provided for the edification OF
Its readers. For purposes of comparison
Mr.. Dana said he had obtained twenty
one papers from the cities OF Boston.
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chi
cago, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Louisville
aad san Francisco. What first impressed
him was the size of these Journals, the
average of them being in reading matter
alone equal to one and one-half times the
contents of the New Testament. The
illustrations OF the papers were for the
most part crude and inartistic. The moral
effect of five of them was bad and two
very doubtful. Many of the comic pict-
ures relied on vulgarity for their wit.
Only two papers out of the tweGty-one
had anything like serious bit of church
reading. One of these had two columns
and a half headed Church Circles"
containing an original hymn, d short
prayer or collect, and an address, and a
very good one, too, on bravery. This
constituted about the one-thousandth
part of the paper.
The characteristics of the Sunday pa
perS MIR. Dana had examined was be-
lifting OF subjects, treated as if to bring
them down to the intelligence of inferior
minds. There would be undoubtedly
articles here and there on interesting
topics of the day, and occasionally we'll
treated articles were seen, but in other
papers but small part OF the whole, and
many a reader trying to contine his at
tention to the best articles alone would
find himself led into reading many
things to the loss of his time, brains and
mental self-respect Then, too, the man
who takes the Sunday paper just for the
purpose of glancing at few lines must
1al,N hpr that ha ia f1lEinCr IN
home, with the illustrations, the head
lines and alluring stories. The weekday
paper is usually read OH the way to or
from the office or store. but the Sunday
paper is read in the home.
In concluding, Mr.. Dana said 4: $50
far l have spoken of the Sunday paper
only as IL is at present. As to what it
might be made in the future, if millions
of papers taken into millions of families
on Sundays could give the news in a
short and dignified manner, with some
we'll thought out discussion of the inter-
esting topics of the day, stories of good
style and elevating tendency, adapted to
the general reader, helpful literature and
suggestions for reading, good poetry, and
a fair variety of what is ct least not harm
ful, and, altogether, about one-third the
present length, then, though | believe
most of us would be better without it,
still it would be a great improvement
over the present state OF allalrs, and per-
haps in some families would possibly be
a real benefit The present condition of
the papers is lowering, not elevating.
Every foreigner coming TO this country
observes the fact, and every true man, be
he American or foreign-born, laments
it,"
Rev. Harry p. Nichols of Minneapolis
cham pioned the cause of the Sunday
newspapers in an able manner, and Rev.
w. hirkup, ID. D., OF Jersey City was the
closing speaker, and III humorous man
uer criticised the speakers who had
spoken against the Sunday newspaper.
Tomorrow mornings session will be
devoted to discussion OF religious or
ders in the Protestant Episcopal Church.
THE NEW BOND ISSUE.
Firms That VIII Subscribe for the Gov
oInnlAnt Loan.