The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-12
NEWSPAPER ENDOWMENT
STRONGLY ADVOCATED At THE ST.
PAUL EPISCOPAL CONVENTION.
Two Interesting Subjects Under Dis
cussiOn-Dr. De Costa on the Accept
ance of His Resignation.

0l. ALL, 1illlll, OCl ii.-luc OuHudy
question was the topic for the second days
session Of the Protestant Episcopal Church's
nineteenth congress N this city to-day
Rev. Campbell Fair, d. D., of Omaha. and
Rev. Henry Tattlock. of Ann Arbor, Mich.
opened the discussion with formal papers.
DR.. Fair after stating that there are more
than two hundred passages in the Scriptures
bearing on the one day of rest in seven and
that nature seconds the Scriptures in the
demand for the Sabbath, took the ground
that the Sunday newspaper is one of the
hindrances TO true Sabbath observance. He
cited the numerous laws regarding the keep
ing of the Sabbath, in State and other leg
islation, and urged their enforcement. In
conclusion he urged the following of the
Jewish precept. Whatever can be done on
the day before or deferred until the day
after ought not to be done on the Sab
bath"
DR.. Tattlock ascribed the decadence Of
proper Sabbath observance, first, to the
greed or carelessness of the older genera
tions; and second, to the consequent lack
of proper training of the young people. AS
reasons for returning to the proper observ-
ance of the day he cited: 1t is needed day
of rest it is a needed day of religious OBJ
servance; it is required for the welfare Of
the state, because 1t conduces to the physi-
| cal, mental and moral welfare of the peo-
| pie; it is essentially American institu-
| ton He recommended the establishment of
| Sabbath-day observance societies in all
| parts of the country.
| Rev. W. S. Rainsford, D. D., of New
York, Rev. Ernest M. Stiers, of Chicago,
and Rev. Beverly E. Warner, D. D., of New
| Orleans led in the further discussion on the
same topic. DR.. Warner ascribed, in large
decree, the decadence in Sabbath observ-
| ance to the decreased attendance upon
church services. especially the part of
the men. The increase of employments re-
| quiring Sunday labor was cited as another
| cause. In speaking of Sunday laws he said:
| MY conclusion is that so-called Sunday leg
| islation should not be enacted or enforced
On religious grounds, any more than legisla-
| ton concerning theft murder. We give
| UP our strength when we strive to make
men religious by force The so-called Sum
| day laws against labor except works of ne
| cesslty and mercy, seem to Ene TO be justi-
! fable, first, to the extent of preventing some
| men from interfering with the rights of
others TO a day of peace and rest, and sec
ond. so far as they prevent the powerful
employer class from encroaching upon one
seventh of the time of their employees. But
Sunday laws against amusements, per Sc,
| are unnatural"
| The general topic for to-night's session
| was THE Bearing of the Newspaper on
| Intellectual and Moral Life The writ
| ers," as those who open the discussions
| are called were Rev. Cameron Mann, d. D.,
| of Kansas City, and Rev. Alexander
| Mackay-Smith, D. D., of Washington.
| Among other things DR.. Mann said: 'The
4 hxy ba
| as to their power are not exaggerated as
| to the amount, however they may be as to
| the. beneficence." He emphasized the fact
that a newspaper is not a charity, a re-
| form organization, a society for the diffu-
| sion of useful knowledge, but a commercial
enterprise. Political partizanship he held
to be right and proper, but not essential
| either to the prosperity of the paper or the
| well-being Of the community. Journalistic
looseness to truth and correct express
sion he considered were due largely to the
| fact that most people do not care for that
extent and accuracy of information, that
sobriety of tone, that fairness of discussion,
| that anxiety for upliftment, which are the
| qualities which theoretically should make
| the successful journal Consequently, the
| people should be sparlng In their denuncla-
tions of the press. Journalists who mean
harm, who favor lies and pruriency he said,
are few and far between. Nearly all pa
they undo much of their advice and exhorta-
| ton" The speaker cited the ''quack" and
often indecent announcements appearing on
the advertising pages in support Of this
| contention. He closed with an advocacy OF
an endowed newspaper, saying such paper
is no more absurd than an endowed uni
versity.
In the opening the further discussion of
the same general subject Rev. David H.
| Greer, d. D., of New York. said that Car
| lyle's characterization of the press as ''the
modern church referred manifestly to it's
power rather than its piety. but he thought
the power used for good to a much
greater degree than for evil. He held, too.
that because there is more of the strange
and the uncommon to chronicle in connec-
ton with evil than with good 1t follows
that the wrong, the evil and the lawless-
ness of life receive more notice than the
good and the pure things Of this world.
But even this fact does not make the news
paper an evil thing. He. like DR.. Mann,
believed the fault Is with the people that
the public journals are not better.
DR.. F1avel S. Luther Phi. D., of Hartford,
Conn. followed practically the same line of
thought. A more informal discussion OF
the general topic occupied the balance OF
the evening session.