352 RELIGIOUS AGENCIES 



daily newspaper floats to the door of every house a miscellaneous 

 cargo, including facts, fancies, and fabrications and more or less 

 fragmentary discussions of every subject which will contribute to 

 the interest of the paper and the increase of its circulation. All 

 these classes of papers deal with morals and on that subject, except 

 in those who approach the true ideal, there is sometimes a strong 

 contrast between the editorial and other parts of the paper. In 

 the latter all that is abominable can be found; yet, in the same 

 number, high moral principles are advocated and all that is admira- 

 ble is commended, sometimes most eloquently, in the editorial 

 columns. 



In the present age much attention is given by the press to 

 religion. The difficulty in connection with the periodical press 

 generally, relative to religion, is that it is governed by commercial 

 conditions. Formerly books were expensive and the privilege of 

 a few. At present they are sold at a low price, and the advertise- 

 ments of them in the secular press and the editorial notices secured 

 by the publishers often unite to spread the most dangerous senti- 

 ments in morals and religion. So powerful are the commercial 

 interests involved that even the publication houses established 

 by churches for the promotion of the doctrines on which those 

 churches are founded are not always free from the charge of circu- 

 lating doctrines entirely inimical on some points to the views held 

 by the churches. 



But, upon the whole, the best daily and weekly papers are entitled 

 to the credit of promoting religion. They distribute a vast amount 

 of authentic information concerning great religious movements, 

 the erection of churches, and the statistics and methods of the 

 allied benevolent institutions of Christianity. They admit discus- 

 sions, and in their course sometimes, and usually in closing them, 

 make remarks adapted to leave religion in a favorable position. 



Papers of another class speak irreverently and contemptuously of 

 religion; ignoring the consistent and faithful pastor, they magnify 

 the eccentricities of pulpit clowns, and devote more attention to 

 the occasional moral lapses of ministers than to any other subject 

 except prize fights and divorce cases; have the largest circulation, 

 and that among persons who most need moral and religious influ- 

 ences. Thus they promote vice, demoralize the weaker type of 

 young ministers and the congregations among whose members 

 they circulate. 



The Church Press 



The church press may be roughly divided into three classes. 

 Those entirely devoted to sectarian interests. These have little 



