Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-02
POWER OF THE PRESS
REV. DR.. ALLISON DISCUSSED
THEME YESTERDAY.

Gunton-Temple Memorial Presbyterian
Church, preached forceful and entertain
ing sermon last evening on journalism, and
during the course of his remarks paid
tribute to the work of the press when Its
ideals are high. DR. Allison took as his
subject The Power of the Press, and
chose his text from James IT'LL, Doth a
fountain send forth at the same place sweet
water and bitter?' He said:
incredible as 1t seems, good and evil are
propagated into the world by the same
instrumentalities. The most potent means
in accomplishing great good are sometimes
the most effectual agents of greatest evil.
Gods truth and the lies of Satan pass
through the same medium The air is the
precious gift of God, but men send through
II cursings and blessings. The body is a
complicated piece of mechanism. Men use
1T as an instrument of unrighteousness as
well as a temple of the Holy Ghost.
We are taught that the church founded
by Christ is the divine Institution u the
world for the gathering and perfectMg of
His saints. This constitutes the religion of
grace, which is the one and the same In all
ages, and which is composed of all who
make profession of the holy religion of
Christ, with their children. and who ac-
knowledge submission to His law. The
gospel is first in the church. The ministry
is a splendid opportunity offered to man.
What is a greater stimulus than the true
gospel of the Master?
But after all the pulpit Is not the only
power. There is a power in the press that
must not be underesumated. John Ruskln
said, The issues of life and death for mod
ern society are in the pulpit Men want
earnest, helpful gospel and not dreamy
nothings expressed in vaguest phraseology.
Each Sunday you are fed by the pulpit. but
daily by the newspapers. y spoken thought
may live when kings are dead and thrones
fallen, and may, as Charming says, IL
Illuminate all future generations Beecher
said, a man might let loose star 10 roll
in its orbit and yet not have done 50 menu
orable a thing before God as he who lets
go a goi1en-orbed thought to roll through
the generations of time
The printing press is a copious fountain,
sending forth sweet water and bitter. 1t Is
a great and benefcent agency for the ad-
vancement of the civilization of IN lnkind
and a potent means in scattering the seeds
OF immortal truth among men. The estap-
lishment of the power of the press was the
forerunner of the reformation. 1t awoke
Europe from her sleep of the middle ages
and it brought to light and scattered the
treasures of classical literature.
When Instruction Was Oral.
To-day we do not remember so much
what We hear what we read. Before
the invention of printing instruction was
oral. 1t was the day of the orator, and
many could repeat verbatim the orations
of Demosthenes. We have now the printed
page and are fed daily by the press. This
unfailing fountain sending forth its publ
cation of variety of character, as numer-
Gus as dew drops, eXerting an influence Tor
good or ev-diffusiug the blessings OF
heaven or scattering the curses OF error OF
moral desolation.
There is a power in the press little less
than oTnnipotent. 1t must have high Ideals
or Il drags US down. God save the press
of this great land and eonsecrate 1t TO HIS
own good should be our prayers. l have
read editorials that were as good as any
sermon. They were upon economical ana
other subjects. Let there flow from the
press sweet waters for the good OF man
kind What a,power is the press that Is de-
voted to that which is good and noble.
believe today that the trend of the press is
toward that which is good and not toward
the evil.
Just glance for a moment al the way the
newspapers of the great city of Philadelphia
stood with the pulpit for pure reform IN
that city There is class of so-caied
litera ture today that is absolutely worth
less which has an air of romance and de-
tails scenes in high life 1t deals with
profiigacy and base pass ons that are con-
Quoted through these scenes But the sood
influences are greater than the bad.
"District Attorney Jerome of New YORK
recently said that the trouble today is that
the newspapers are run from the counting
room If this is true. we should nave
care which paper comes into our home ana
upon our library tables. Today in many
papers you will see a small space given Tor
the spread of the good of truth and moral
ity and near 1t columns Will be given LOT
the detail of crime and of some man VINO
is taking a trip to Canada after being as
sistant cashier of some bank"
DR. Allison then spoke of the great WORK
of the American Tract Society and said
while not saying anything of those who
are giving libraries to various parts OF the
country would it not be for good II one OF
those persons would lend his efforts 10
the sending of tracts containing GODS word
TO those of the islands of the sea where
they would do so much goodg'
In conclusion DR.. Allison said:
Beloved l plead for good, nigh ana
consecrated press that will be omnipetent
on the side of truth and Righteousness ana
for all that is good and clean. both In poii-
ties and the home and everywhere.