The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1898-03-02
TALMAGE'S OPINION OF THE
PRESS.

"rhey shall seem like torches; They
shall run like the lightning
EXPIRES, rail train and Geographic
communication are suggested ii not fore
told in this text, and from it | start to
preach a sermon in gratitude to God ami
the newspaper press for the fact that
have had the opportunity OF delivering
through the newspaper press two tbous-
and sermons OF religious addresses, so
that | rave for many years been allowed
the privilege OF preaching the Gospel
every week to every n~eighborlIood III
Christendonl, and in many lands out
side OF Christendom. Many have on
dered at the process by which it has
come to pass, and for the first time in
public place | state the three causes.
Many years ago "a young man who has
since become eminent i'll his profession,
WAS then studying law III ID distant city.
He came 10 me and said that for lack vi
funds he must stop his studying, unless
through ~stelIography | would give him
sketches vi sermons, That he might by
the sale OF them secure means Tor the
completion of his education. | %positive-
ly declined, because it seemed to me al
impossibility, but after some months
had passed, and | had reflected upon the
great sadness for such a brilliant young
ma to he defeated in his ambition for
the legal prof ssion, l undertook to serve
him vi course, free of charge. Within
three weeks there came ii request for
those stenographic reports from many
parts OF the continent. Time passed on,
and some gentlemen Of my own profess
ion evidently thinking that there was
hardly room for them and ior myself on
this continent began to assail me, and
became SO violent in their assault that
the chief newspapers OF America put
special correspondents in my church
Sabbath by sabbath to take down such
! reply as l might make. l never made
reply, except once ior about three min
utes, but those correspondents could not
waste their time and so they telegraphed
the ermons to their particular papers.
After awhile, DIR. Louis klopsch Of New
York systelnatized the work into IA SYM
dictate until through that and other SYM
dicates he has put the discourses. aeek
10y week before more than twenty mill
ion people on both sides of the sea,
there have been 50 many guesses on this
subject, many OF them inaccurate that,
now | tell the true story. | have not
improved the opportunity as | ought,
but leei that the time has come when
as IA matter OF common justice to the
newspaper press, | should make this
statement IA "A sermon commemorative
OF the two thousandth full publication
OF sermons, and religious addresses, say
ing nothing OF the fragmentary reports,
which would run up into many thors-
and more.
There was one incident that | might
mention in this connection, showing
how insignificant event might influence
us Tor a lifetime. Many years ago on a
Sabbath morning on my way to church
In Brooklyn, a representative of Il prom
nent newspaper met me and said: "Are
you going to give US any points today?"
l said, What do you mean by 'points?'"
lie replied, Anything we can remem-
ber.' | said to myself, ave ought to
be making points, all the time in our
pulpits and not deal in platitudes and
lnanitles." That one Interrogation put
to me that morning started in me the
desire OF making points all the time and
nothing but points. q.
And now, how can l more appropri-
ately commemorate the two thousandth
publication than by speaking OF the
newspaper press as an ally OF the pulpit,
and mentioning some OF the trials OF
newspaper men,.
The newspaper is the great educator
OF the nineteenth century. There il no
force compared with it. 1t is a book
pulpit, platform, forum, all in one.
And there Is not an interest-reliyious
literary, commercial, scientific, agricul-
tural, or Northumberland is not within
its grasp. All our churches, and schools,
and colleges, and asylums, and art gall
tories ieel the ~quaking OF the printing
press.
The institution of arose in
Italy. In Venice the first newspaper was
published, and monthly, during the time