The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-08
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER FIGHT.

Our friends of the Sunday school
convention. now in session in this city,
are attempting the unraveling OF
very difficult knot, in trying TO come
to some satisfactory conclusion touch
ing the Sunday daily morning papers
The speakers, however, failed to ad-
vance a single new idea or to offer any
solution practical or otherwise. The
problem has been encountered by large
and cultured ecclesiastical bodies and
by able writers, and always with the
same result The opposition TO Sun
day morning papers does not arise from
any protest against the violation of
law. or the Dissertation of the Sabbath
day by newsboys and mailing clerks.
The Sunday morning paper is not the
result Of Sunday labor and there is no
wisdom in discussing that phase of the
question. The objection. right down
at the bottom. TO the Sunday morning
paper. is because of its Sunday read
ers. The church in its fight on the
Sunday paper" has never been hon
est. Its holding that it was desecra-
ton of the Sabbath day and its pro-
duction and sale Il violation of the
Sunday law has been a simple sub
terfuge. Therefore the church's fail
ure to make any perceptible impress
sion by its opposition. The issue is
rather one between the pulpit and the
editorial sanctum. Not that the editor
would with his pen and news-laden
wires antagonize the preacher or out
rival his wisdom. and thereby steal his
congregation. Nothing OF the sort.
Nevertheless the fact cannot bedenied
that the average man, resident of the
town or city, the labors and perplex-
tiles of the week all being behind him,
finds mental recreation, pleasant pas
time and reStful satisfaction in the
columns of his Sunday mornings pa
per. That this is so ia rtrue as to af-
feet the size and especially the char
acter of Sunday morning congregations
we shall not attempt TO deny. And
this is equally true Of the believing
as of the unconverted, and unconcern-
ed reader. neither of whom will drop
his Sunday mornings paper unless his
own or other pulpit, for that hour.
promises a greater feast for heart and
brain. Sympathizing as we do with
the Sabbath day. with its institutions
and all the sacred things of experience.
of SOUL and of worship. which is a part
of. and which cluster about it, we have
yet never had but little patience with
the false form and inSincere spirit of
attSck made upon the Sunday morn
ing newspaper. 1t is not the editor
or publisher who is at fault. but the
reader. So far as general attractive
ness is concerned. and with but a small
per cent Of loss of actual important
news. if forced to it. the Sunday morn
ing paper could be printed and depos-
tied in the poStoffice and TO city sub
scriberS by midnight Saturday. So.
in fact, the Sunday law. If strictly en-
forced. would reach and shut off the
Monday mornings. not the Sunday
mornings paper. All talk of getting
out a full-fedged paper Of news and
Of general interest between midnight
and sun-up Monday morning. is the
mereSt twaddle- Therefore our friends
in addressing themselves 10 the Sun
day paper question. if they would be
effective and convincing. must aban-
don the false lines and stick TO the
truth Of that which hurts. The issue
Is not between the publisher and the
pulpit but between the preacher and
the individual reader.
There is another thing. an oversight
we think, upon the part Of the pulpit.
which growing out Of prejudice. envy
or the like, has put the preacher to
disadvantage. The pulpit has be-
come an almost unfailing critic Of
the press. often antagonizing il. This
is as srievous Is il is strort-Sighted. and
The result is. after long series OF
years that the press is being put on
the defensive Upon the other hand
the pulpit by n different spirit would
find the press its most powerful sup
faDr-a-