The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-23

Reform Association, he finds everything
that his heart could long for OF desire
lie finds religion in the form of soul
touching homilies. after the perfect pat
tern of DR.. Hepworth's weekly contribu-
tons to Gods cause; he finds knowledge
in the shape of recent doings in the liter
airy and scientific world, reviews of such
books as would best suit his individual
taste; for you must bear well in mind that
not all workingmen and wage-earners are
living and moving automotons, void of all
ambition there, too, he reads of the frail-
ties of human nature and learns more than
one lesson which makes him more content
ed with his lot. And when his eyes are
weary from reading and in his ears sound
the sweet tones of the church bells which
bid him haste to Gods house there to pour
out the offerings of his heart, he neverthe-
less still sits in his favorite chair at home
and will not accept the invitation to pray
er, can this, l ask you, in all earnest
ness, be honestly laid to the door
of the Sunday Newspaper or to
the indolent disinclination which holds
sway within him? Can the growing indf-
ference to the church, which Is so appar-
ent everywhere we turn, can the voiceless,
silent, dead religion of the present day,
with any amount of truth, attribute its
present deplorable condition to the weekly
appearance of the Sunday Newspaper" in
our homes?
81 have lived in small country towns
where there were no Sunday Newspaper"
and 1 have noticed that the sound of the
church bells and the invitation to attend
divine service have been equally unheeded
by young and by old have lived in the
great city of London, where there is no
Sunday Newspaper" of any consequence
published and 1 have observed that
Church time" meant for the most part,
of h. nd q
temporary stopping of traffic in the street
in which the church is built: 1 have lis
tened to opinions and expressions of peo-
pie in Savannah and elsewhere why they
remain away from church, and why they
neglect their religious duties, and l am
vet to hear one person give as his reason
or as his excuse the Sunday Newspaper"
The root of the evil, is deeper seated, the
cause must be found in some other direc-
ton. Perhaps, it lies in the fact that peo-
pie are growing tired of the constant
wrangling between the different religious
leaders; perhaps it exists in the throwing
aside of cherished principles by men who
have forgotten their solemn oaths of obi
CATION: perhaps it may be found in the lack
of sincerity which now seems to character
ize every species of religious work; per-
haps il may be traced to a refusal to hon.
estly consider that which is for the good
and advancement of mankind; and per-
haps it is because there is so much desire
upon the part of certain religious zealots
TO prove the Sunday Newspaper" the
most dangerous and insidious foe of man
kind that they forget the teaching of Ovid,
"All things can corrupt perverse minds
but I am firm in my conviction that
the Sunday Newspaper has strengthen
ed not weakened, the cause of religion; do
not believe that 1t is that il has ever been,
or that it will ever be inimical to any but
the unjust, the ungOdly, the criminal and
the wropgdoer; l do not believe that the
world Will ever become so contracted in
its views and IDEAS as to Danish it from
the homes upon such frail pretexts, as
have been urged against 1t by the Nation
al Reform Association" If, therefore, as
an imr artial observer of the times, l should
be asked my honest, unbiased opinion of
the Sunday Newspaper" even though
| should be universally condemned by
clergy and by laity alike, I
one word to his declaration, 1.-THE Sun
day Newspaper, is the chronicle of civili-
cation. II is a sleepless Waterman that
reports to you every danger which mem
aces the institutions of your country, and
its interests at home and abroad. 1t is
:; law book for the indolent sermon for
the thoughtless, a library for the poor
Here shall the Press the Peoples right
maintain,
Unawed by influence and unbribed by
gain:
Here patriot Truth her glorious precepts
draw,
Pledged to Religion, Liberty. and Law