The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-03-18
SERMON.
HE breaches TO THE NEWS
PAPER PROFESSION.
And Incidentally Tells About the Good
Papers In the Country Towns and
cities. and the wicked Papers Of the
Greater Cities.

D
foretold In this text. and from Il l
start 20 preach a sermon In gratitude
TO God and the newspaper press for
the fact that have had the opportuni-
~ OF delivering through the newspaper
press two thousand sermons or reiigl-
Gus addresses. so that I have for many
years been allowed the privilege OF
preaching the gospel every week 10 ev-
cry neighboThood In Christendom. and
In many lands outside OF Christendom.
Many have wondered at the process by
which II has come TO pas'. and for
the FIRST time In public place ! state
the three causes Many years ago.
| young man who has since become emil
nent in his profession. was then study
Ing law In a distant city. He came to
me. and said that for lack Of funds he
must stop his studying. unless through
stenography would give him sketches
OF sermons. that he might by the sale
OF them secure means for the compile
ton OF his education. / positively de-
elined. because Il seemed 10 me an
impossibility. but after some months
had passed. and had reflected upon
the great sadnesJ for such a brilliant
young man TO be defeated In his am
billion for the legal profession. under
took 20 serve him: OF course. free %
charge. Within three weeks there
came a request for those stenographic
reports from many parts OF the con-
unent. Time passed on. and como
gentlemen OF my own profession. evil
IDENTIFY thinking that there was hardly
room for them and for myself In this
continent began to assail me. and be-
came 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 | might make. | never made
reply. except once for about three min
utes. but those correspondents could
not waste their time and so they tele-
graphed the sermons 10 their partlcu-
lar papers. After awhile. Dr. Louis
klopsch Of New York systemized the
work into n syndicate until through
that and other syndicates he has pu.
the discourses week by week before
more than twenty million people on
both sides OF the sea. There have been
so many guesses on this subject. many
OF them Inaccurate that I now tell the
true story. | have not improved the
opportunity as / ought. but I feel the
time has come when as a matter %
common Justice 10 the newspaper press
that | should make this statement In
sermon commemorative Of the two
thousandth full publication OF sermons.
and religious addresses. saying no.
thing OF fragmentary reports. which
would run Up into many thousands
more.
There was one Incident that I might
mention In this connection. showing
how one Insignificant event might in
huence Us for a lifetime. Many years
ago on Sabbath morning on my way
70 church in Brooklyn. a representa-
tive Of a prominent newspaper met me
and said: Are you going 20 give MS
any points today" | said What do
you mean by points," lie repllel
Anything We can remember" said
10 myself. I'VE ought TO be making
points all the time In our pulplts and
not deal In platitudes and lnanltIss"
That one interrogation put 10 me tina,
morning started In me the desire OF
making points all the time and nothing
but points
And now. how can more apprnprI.
ately commemorate the two thousand,h
publication than by speaking Of the
newspaper press ~ an ally OF the pull
pit. and mentioning some Of the trials
Of newspaper men.
The newspaper Is the great educator
Of the nineteenth century. There Is no
force compared with IL. Il is bool,
pulpit, platform. forum. all In one. And
there Is not an intorest-religious H..
erary. commercial. scientific. acrIeul.
tural or northumberland is not within
its grasp All our churches and schools
and colleges and asylums and art gal.
lerles feel the quaking Of the printing
press.
The Institution u newspapers arose
In Italy. In Venice the first newspaper
was published. and monthly. during
the time Venice was warning against
Solyman the Second In Dalmatla. IL
was printed for the purpose Of giving
military and commercial Information
10 the Venitians The FIRST newspa.
per published In England was In 1855
and called the English Mercury. Who
can estimate the political. scientific
commercial and religious revolutions
reused up In England for many years
past by the press?
The FIRST attempt NJ this institution
in France was In 1881. by a physician.
who published the News. for the amuse-
ncnt and health OF his patients. The
French nation understood fully how
20 appreciate this power So early as
in 1920 there was In Paris 1859 Journals
But in the United States the newspa.
per has come 20 unlimited sway.
Though In 1875 there were but thirty
seven In the whole country. the mum.
Der Of published journals Is now count.
ed by thousands; and today-we may as
we'll acknowledge Il as not-the re-.
liglous and secular newspapers are the
great educators Of the country.
But alasl through what struggle the
newspaper has come to It's present de.
yelopment. Just as soon as Il began
to demonstrate It's power. superstition
and tyranny shacklod Il. There is mo-
thing that despotism so much fears and
hates as the printing press. great
writer In the south Of Europe declared
that the King Of Naples had made II
10 l.