The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.

| adjourned last Thursday, adopted a strong
resolution against the Sunday newspaper.
In the resolution the Sunday newspaper is
called one of the most insidious and dan
gerous foes Of the Sabbath In the life of
the individual, the family and the church.
Those who spoke in favor of the reso-
| luton we're ministers OF the gospel. and
! there is no doubt they were sincere. As
| a rule ministers believe that the Sunday
newspaper keeps people away from
| church. Are they not mistaken? Would
the attendance at church be any larger
! If there were no Sunday newspapers?' Do
people stay away from church to read
the newspapers or for some other reason?
If the people who stay away from
church really wanted to attend they would
| not hesitate about giving up a couple of
hours on Sundays for that purpose. Most
people have time TO read all the news
in the papers before the hour for going
TO church arrives They don't stay away
from church to read the miscellaneous ar
ticles, because they can find similar arti-
cles in the magazines and weekly publica-
lions. 1t is probable that of the people
who do not attend church about as many
read the magazines, which are now OBJ
tainable a. prices ranging all the way from
five cents to thirty-fve cents. as read the
publications on Sundays. 1t would seem,
therefore, that people who do a great deal
of reading on Sundays do not confne
themselves to the Sunday papers. But if
there were no papers published on Sun
days would church attendance be larger?
1t might be. but 1t is very doubtful
The great newspapers of London do not
publish Sunday editions. Is the percent
age of the population in that city that at
tends church larger than that of the pop
ulation that attends church in New York?
We assume that it is not for the reason
that if it were the opponents of Sunday
papers would have made use of the fact
as an argument against them.
We do not know whether there is a fall
ing Oft in the size of church congrega-.
tons or not. If there is, It is doubtful
If 1t can be attributed TO the Sunday news
paper. 1t is attributable rather to the lack
of interest in religion. The Sunday news
paper cannot be held responsible for this
lack of interest. The great majority of
| newspapers are on the side of religion.
They devote a vast deal of space to church
news, religious articles, sermons and the
discussion of matters pertaining to church
| affairs Their influence is on the side of
law order and morality.
If there is an increasing lack of interest
in religion is it not rather the fault of
the ministers-those of them who are act
i've in preaching the higher criticism of
the Bible? Have they not so confused the
minds of the people respecting the Bible
that there is no longer the profound rev.
erence for that sacred book there once
was. and consequently no longer the deep
religious feeling that prevailed all over
the land when everything in the Bible was
accepted without question?
1t may not be true that new views of
the Bible that are spread abroad from
many pulpits are responsible for the de-
creasing attendance upon divine worship
but there are such strong reasons for
thinking they are more responsible for Il
than the Sunday newspaper that minis
ters, before condemning the Sunday news
paper, should make an earnest effort TO
find out where the responsibility rests.
Another phase of the Sunday newspaper
question is that the great mass of toilers
have no time except Sunday for reading
They do not care so much for the news
matter of the papers as they do for the
special articles. Would they not be de-
prived of a great pleasure and great
source of recreation if the Sunday paper
were to be prohibited? And as far as
they are concerned, what would be gain
ed? Would many more of them attend
church than now? 1t is hardly probable .
They would find recreation in some other
way. They find 1t now in the summer
season in outings of one kind and another
The Sunday newspaper is an institution
here to stay. Attacks upon it will avail
nothing The effort should be made TO
make IL clean and wholesome. The best
authorities say that people are bigger
physically, better morally and greater in
tellectually than they were century ago
Who is there who can deny that the news
papers has been potent factor in making
them so?