ADVERTISING
IS TO
BUSINESS
-WHAT STEAM IS 1
Machinery,
! lHAT GREAT P&OFBIJ I CG POWEE.
CHAT CLASS OF USA DEBS
THAT YOU
Wish your Advertisement
TO HKACH
is the class who read this paper.
Picking up
Knowledge
Is easy enough if you look
for it in the right place.
This is the right place to
learn just what to do for
that debilitating condition
which Spring always brings.
Do you want to be cured of
that languid feeling, get
back your appetite, sleep
soundly, and feel like a new
man?
Ayer's Sarsaparilla
will do it. It has done it
for thousands. It has been
doing it for 50 years. Try it.
Send for the "Curebpot." 100 pages free.
J. C Ayer Co. Lowell, Mass.
For sale by E. T. Whitehead & Co.
Scotland Neck. N. C.
PROFESSIONAL.
R. A. C. LIVERMON,
1
FFicE-Over the Staton Building.
Office hours from 9 to 1 o'clock ;
2 to
I o clock, p. m.
SCOTLAND NECK, N. C.
A. DUNN,
ill
ATTORNE Y-A T-L A W.
Scotland Neck, N. C.
Practices wherever his services are
Jsquired,
5
J1AVID BELL,
Attorney at Law,
ENFIELD, N. C.
Practices in all the Courts of Hali-
nn1 arlirvininor mnntlM and in the
A iy'" ---
inreme and Federal Courts. Ulaims
Dllected in all parts of the State.
R. W. J. WARD,
Surgeon Dentist,
Enfield, N. C.
2ice over Harrison's Druf Store.'
EDWARD L. TRAVIS,
itorney and Counselor at Law,
HALIFAX, N. C.
'Money Loaned on Farm Land.
)WARD ALSTON,
Attorney-at-Law,
LITTLETON, N. C.
c. M. FURGERSON.
ATTORNEY-at-LAW,
HALIFAX, N. C.
91y
AUL V. MATTHEWS,
f ATTORNEY-AT-LAW.
y Collection of Claims a specialty,
lv ENFIELD, N. C.
R. C. A. WHITEHEAD,
DENTAL
NTlirrrnnn
1
Taeboko.N.C.
SPRING PARK HOTEL,
J. L. SHAW, Proprietor.
Littleton, N. C.
finnA AMnmmodatlons near Shaw's
U-Healing Springs at 1.&U per. day.
Sunday Bates fl.W. i-zivm.
r
ED
E. E. HIL.L.IARD, Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XrV. Kew Series Vol. 2.
THE EDITOR'S LEISURE HOURS.
Points and Paragraphs of Thing-
Present, Past and Future. .
The Norfolk Pilot said Friday that
strawberries had been shown its rep
resentative and that from the Western
Branch section of Norfolk county they
ara being shipped to New York.
These are the first reported from Vir
ginia or North Carolina, perhaps, and
it is certainly early for this climate.
There is a general good outlook for
truckers this year.
Some editors sponge and some do
not. We hnd an original paragraph
clipped from this column of our issue
of Feb. 24 repeated word for word in a
neighboring contemporary of March 3,
without any credit or quotation marks.
We give our neighbor the benefit of
the doubt as to whether ' or not it was
an oversight ; but such oversights are
rtther unsightly to the one who first
scratches them down for print.
There was a sad sight before the
Criminal court in Halifax last week.
Half dozen youths, ranging in age
from 17 to 20, were brought before the
court to testify against a liquor dealer
f jr selling them liquor, contrary to the
law in this State. In giving evidence
against him they made a sad confes
sion against themselves, that they were
under the influence of strong drink.
And yet some people say that a law to
put the evil out of reach would be an
abridgement of personal rights !
Virginia wheel-men have some ad
vantage over Tar Heel cyclists now.
In North Carolina bicycles cannot be
carried on railroad trains as baggage.
The following from the Norfolk Pilot
informs us that it is different in Virgin
ia since the Legislature of that State ad
journed :
'Delegate E.W.Saunders to day test
ed the law just passed by the Legisla
ture requiring bicycles to be corned as
baggage. When he left for his home
in Franklin county to-day, via the Rich
mond and Petersburg railway, he pre-
sen ted his silent steed to be checked as
baggage, and
when the baggageman
demurred he was informed that the
Legislature had just passed a law cover
ing the case. And the bike went into
the baggage car."
Mr.J. R.Tillery, of Tillery, went
down to Wilmington last week, and on"
U - tl
nis reiuru ue oam iuu o 6'"J
surprised at the enterprise displayed
alone the Wilmington and Weldon
railroad between Goldsboro and Wil
mi 11 ton. H says that every town
shows enterprise and tnrift in the new
buildings and the outlying well culti
vated fields. Mr. Tillery says that a
few years ago no one would have dream
ed that that waste-like section could be
come so prosperous in so short a time.
All of which proves what The Com-
monwealth has long contenaea ior,
that the South is a great country and
North Carolina is the best part of the
South
In this time of depression In agricult
ural pursuits there is more or less
tendency amongst people who live in
the rural districts to move to towns
The small farmer seldom gets reported
in the papers, it may be, for some
special yield of corn, or cotton, or to
bacco ; and at last he concludes he is
too obscure, and if he conld get into
town he would be compelled to move
up a little in dress and style, and so
feel better.
While we are glad to see
everybody make changes for the better
we do not like to see people move from
the country into the towns unless they
have some definite work to do. Many
persons move to town under entirely
wrong Impressions, that town life is
easier than country life. That greatly
depends npon what one has to make
life out of. Living In a town without
money or employment is a hard job for
honest people.
Baldness is either hereditary or
caused by sickness, mental exhaustion,
wearing tight-fitting bats, and by over
i work and trouble. For sale E. T.
Whitehead A Co. .
SCOTLAND NECK, N. C THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1898.
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS.
NO TWO CHILDREN ARE ALIKE.
SOUND VIEW OF CHILD-STUDY.
Some Rambling Thoughts.
BY NEMO.
(Copyrighted by Dawe & Tabor.)
As to Children's Rights : My child
ish soul was once deeply stirred by a
foreign missionary, who told, in most
grewsome manner, of India's Car of
Juseernant. This huge structure, be-
imJA DrA.a of noil woa of nor.
-'
tain seasons of the year, dragged hither
nnA thi f tha twvtioo of liirino
neoDle. Ana in my immature judg-
t th-.iriit that, oin.li thinra fnniH
never be. save in the land of splendor
and of plague. But Time changes us
all! How clearly one now sees that
these Juggernaut cars of prejudice have
been in many places, and if not quite
so tangible yet quite as real as the brutal
car of India. What a Juggernaut has
been Ecclesiasticism ! During the
darker ages oi our world, those ages
that followed a time of great light, it
demanded from all men the giving up
of private judgment, it tried to compel
similarity of belief (of course, lmpossi
b!e) and in the compelling it killed
Thanks to elightenment and charity of
thought tbat car of human violence
has wheels that now scarcely move.
What a Juggernaut has been Educa
tion ! With but lew exceptions, until
a few years ago, it demanded uniform
treatment of all children. It has not
crushed willing victims, but helpless
little ones, who were cast in its insens
ate path by those so deluded that they
erily thought they did r'ghteous
sevice to the race. No more than the
winds can be reduced to a system, can
one child be made exactly similar to
another child by giving it similar train
ing. It cannot be done and the at
tempting of it injures the child
Loot
on the Board School System of Eng-
and as it was first organized and you j
n.i'11 nmnrehand the automatic wav in
which little heads and hearts "were
ruined. Let your imagination run not
and understand all that lt meant of
routine when a French statesman ex-
claimed one day on looking at his
watch : "I know what every child in
Franpp is dninir at this moment." But
happily.iust as a better day has dawned
for India and for religion, so there now
grows into strong light a new day for
education wherein the individuality of
the child is to be respected instead of
crushed and forced and warped as it was
never intended to be.
Among children's rights, therefore,
et us who want to be in the van of
progress, reckon "Child-Study" as it is
called. How foolish the young farmer
who strives to make his farm look just
Uia nMhW. Tf ho trraAttA down I
c &
.k.ill .nnWnliin that nasture.
" - - r
he might secure some imnari
appearance but he would destroy his
own farm in the process. The way to
getmostoutof his farm ia to suit his I
tFeatment to its peculiarities, and those
peculiarities cannot be learned over bis
neighbor's fence. Behold the farm is
the child and its needs must be similiar.
How natural is the question, "What
mil it. honnme ?" when a smilins infant I
" . ,
looks np in the face with all the beauty
an frAahncm of a new-blown rose. Tne I
answer is not to be found by pouring
knowledge in, but by drawing it out
In other words, the new education
tt iu4iiiHiiinn that, (fititiiina hnne for
a inv nr anffrinIr immnl-
atedchildhood-its first at the feet of
the child and learns from If the needs
,uk-d on tfwm ri nntn min-
ister to the new individuality that has
been discovered. 'Just as a great teach-
... -a.
vniiA anin varrdwiinff KannsiT.n nrnHrv- i
. Th KaKKofh no fnr man
and not man for the Sabbath." So
.v-thnw revelation of our later day.
"Education is to be fitted to the child
and not the child to Education."
V
Tka UUA h rirht. 1 ho to he wflll-
born. To be well-bred is mere surface
xuo " --o -
An . w. to h well-born affects everv
uuwu w w - W
"MUO' " ' '
acanr f hnnvni. RVBrv lmnuiKtt.
Buttomakea declaration of
n.,itafiAnin hn-
txi,. u, n -
mn hiatorv bv no means assures those
u M, iT,.r-nt.nrie8
njLltO OUTC tJJ "b Jmf rt
of strain to secure them. Thus does it
that thoneh we a lew are
I i r-v
coming more and more to a full under-
I desire to attest to the merits of
Chanfberttain's Cough Bemedy as one
. . . -
of the most valuable and emcient pre-
parations on the market. It broke an
pmuuuBuu an.Ktnr m.in
OA'jCVW " o J -r -
a v iuuvi i n cr v uinniiiun juu&u .v. v .m
" " . .
- t -,11 n
desire TO inionn juu a. - r-"
be without lt, and you should leei proud
oe wiuiuuiin,uuj . r
of the high epteem in wnicn your
sale by E. T. Whitehead A Co.
Remedies are neio Dy peut m part 0t tne worm. iwBuiy-u0 - r" .V" to w, eari- witb a
Tlt' r Ml. Be sure and ask for "Mrs. aSILnieit
and. Success to .R. Powney WinB,ow,8 Syrap and take 3ull. nntll tha eStire system i.
iMONW.
"EXCELSIOR" IS OUR MOTTO.
standing of children's rights, the many
still live without realizing the debt
they owe to the future on behalf of
their progeny. They snatch at Na
ture's pleasurable bait, trying every
means to avoid the hook, so that chil
dren receive a heritage of life'lhat was
unitended, and appear on the scene of
their life unwelcomed. Is this their
right? I seem to hear the voiceless
ones, who are yet to live, pleajding in
I tones of unuttered sadness for a share
of life that is ungrudged and that de
liberately represents the highest and
the holiest and the best in those who
give it. These little ones whose hands
are to grapple with works that we shall
I. , . , 1111 !l
not 8G0, WDOSB 6VeS BTB lO DeDOiCl IBG
mowing wonders ana amies oi a new
century, wnose minus are io ue me in-
heritors of the wisdom uf all the ages
whose shoulders are to be clothed with
majesty, dominion and might undream
ea OI wnat are iney lo US !
thing that is worth esteeming. The
gentle spirit of a mother, purposely
heId in gentleness and in restraint,
enters into and aids the child to a-good
a wnoiesome career, xne sen-con-
quest nd self-denial of a father is a
vantage point ior me cnna inai is jei
to . These are rights that are rights
maeea ana iney oiuweiga an omer
ehts even as the whole outweighs the
t"11" U1 "6" """" I
in paying need to tne race mat is yet
tf be. I
Aitnougn ine goiaen age is o er,
As legend lore relates, '
? i j.. -ii u .
And closed are heaven s gates ;
Yet music, flowers and children show
Some light on earth's dark way-
And still reflect an after glow
Tbat bodes a brighter day.
Butler's Charges Against Ewart
A Washington Dispatch a few days ago
said :
About twenty witnesses have been sum
moned from North Carolina by the Sen
ate committee on Judiciary to testify
in regard to the charges filed by Senator
sutler against ion. Hamilton
kwart, renominated to be judge ot the
Western District ot JNorth Carolina,
I m sm . . 1 1 It . I . I
Ane first oi tnem win oe nearc ny tnei
f ... . .
sub-committee naving tne investigation
,r charge next Saturday. In hiseharg-
es against Mr. Ewart, Senator Butler
says tnat ne nas -neiiner ine native
ability, nor tne legal acquirements to
qualtty him ior a juaiciai position,
and adds that"even if he had sutncient
ability and legal learning, he is want-
ing in the equipoise of temperament to
qualify hina to fill this important l"e
position." He says that Mr. kwart is
without experience as a lawyer, and in
his specifications declares that he never
argued a case before the Supreme
Court of his State, nor before any court
of appellate jurisdiction, Federal or
State. He also alleges other disqual-
ifications, and attacks Mr. Ewart's rep-
utation as a public official, and also as
a nrivata infH vidiisil. Amonsr the other I
" . . . .
nnniiRiitinnn. la one that while a member!
.... .
o! Congress Mr. Jiwart sold nis public
j ato anA that &.hiio. th r,oh
of the State court8 of North Carolina
. . notwith-
. fth oro aa a atnte ,aw in ,hfi
.pnTV . at thfi aame time accet.
sosn o.aiiw annrnnr,.M hv
the Stdte to oav his expenses of travel.
Similar charges nave also oeen nieu
. . . i
bv other persons. The sub-committee
. . .. ,
, f th invitmn i om-
in charge ot tne investigation is com-
s.nator8 sDOoner. Thurston
r
I t min m.-mawr
Instances of Longevity.
The New York Independent, in re-
minding its readers that Mr Gladstone
when he ronnaea nis oun yr .
other day, surpassed any of his pred-
ecessors m the premiership, speaks of
it aeserving to oe cnronlcie.
I VAt it i notGWf3rthv. as that sheet re-
marks, wnat a ripe age many u, luo
British statesmen who have fiilled that
position have attained in spite of Its
I i tramanilnna TConnnmhll
"8- , r :
ities. Aaaington, J-ora ommuuiu,
reached the age of 86 before he died
I fl Kusseii uieu
. n II J I .1 4. Bit V.. 1t..l.a nl
I ' . . -r j -r -i i
Wellington at ,wf xx,ra ra.merston auu
Earl Grey at oi. tne otuer pr.uc
. . . - 1
of Oueen Victoria
I "
I . .fnu,.nn.AoM'. on-a nraa
tMi'"
vo, tne r-an
, g0 Vi8Connt Melbourne's
OI rJ ov
ana ssir Jiooert xreoi .
FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS.
Mrs. Winslow's Soobhing Syrup has
been used for over fifty years by mil-
Mnna of mothers for their children
I writh TUrftaiif. ciiwoac. It
wu, t -
soothes the child, softens tne gums, ai-
. a 5o
and is
1 1HTO " V" ' "
nil nn i ri gw u win., i .111 1 11.. au. .
I the best remedy for Diarreoea.
It will
" 'i"" --
,. litt1. onffftr(,r imme-
i'"'" - ; ;
I .. . 0.111 t c.9 t-n avwv
aiateiy. ooi uy
no other kind,
O 17 Kt I J
fT A T
TALMAGE ON
NEWSPAPERS.
HE TELLS HOW HIS SERMONS
ARE PUBLISHED.
To he Given in Parts.
I.
The sermon of Dr. Talmage sent out
to the world last week is devoted es-
pecially to newspapers. We deem It
worth printing every line of it but
it is too long to print all at once in
these columns ; so The Commonwealth
will print it in parts, and hopes tbat
all our readers will be interested in the
saries :
For the first time Dr. Talmage in
this discourse tells in what way his
sermons have come to a multiplicity
of publication such as has never in any
other case been known since the art of
printing was Invented ; text, Nahum
ii, 4, "They shall seem like torches
th sha1 run hke the iigbttljng8
Express, rail train and telegraphic
communication are suggested if not
,oretold in thi8 text and from lt j 8tarl
to preach a germon in gratitude to God
and the nevv8paper press for the fact
that j have had tne opportunity of de-
uvering through the newspaper prens
2000 sermons or religious addresses, so
I hat T hovufnr mnnv vpara hppn nllnn,-.
ed the prlviiege of preaching the gospel
. . . , ,
every week to every neighborhood in
Christendom and in many lands out
side of Christendom. Many have wond
ered at tne process by which it has
come to pass, and for the first time m
public place I state the three ccuses.
Many years ago a young man who has
since become eminent in his profession
was then studying law in a distant city.
He came to me and said that for lack
of funds he must stop his studying un
less through stenography I would give
him sketches of sermons, that he might
by the sale of them secure means ior
tne completion of his education.
positively declined, because it seemed
to me an impossibility, but after some
months haa passed and I had reflected
...
Upon the great sadness for sncn a bnl
. . .
ijant y0Unr man to be defeated in his
ambition for the legal profession. I
undertook to serve him--of course free
Qf charge. Within three weeks there
came a request for those stenographic
ranorts from many parts ot the con-
tjnent.
Time passed on, and some gentlemen
0 ray profession, evidently thinking
that there was hardly room for them
anrt for myselt in this continent, began
to asgaii me, and became so violent in
tnejr assault that the chief newspapers
0f America put" special correspondents
,a my church Sabbath by Sabbath to
take down 8Uch reply as I might make
T never made tbdIv. except once for
aDout trjree minutes, but those cor-
resppndents could not waste their time,
i
uuiiij( wngianuw
. t. :
tuelr V1 "LU,ai '
ORGANIZATION OF THE SYNDICATE.
After awhile Dr. Louis Kiopsch of
New York systematized the work into
la syndicate until through that and
other syndicates he has put the dis-
courses week by week before more than
2U,uw,uw peopie ou uulu a.uC3
I m t l .t nnAMtaa fr
i
I .,k4it manv rT thpm lnstRCIiratfl
i i npra nfivc uaeu ou uisuv kucoto "
" ujv.f . --
that I dow tell the true story
I that. T nnw tell the true story. 1 have
. - T
not improved the opportunity as I
nnoht. hut I feel the time has come
a
when as a matter of common justice to
the newspaper press I should make this
statement in a sermon commemorative
of the two thousandth full publication
of sermons and religious addresses, say
ing nothing of fragmentary reports,
which would run up into many thous
ands more.
There was one incident that I might
mention in this connection snowing
how an insignificant event might in
fluence us for a lifetime. Many years
ago on a Sabbath morning on my way
to church in Brooklyn a representative
nf a nrnminent newspaper met me and
said, "Are you going to give us any
noints today?" I said, "What do you
mean by 'points?' " He replied, "Any-
I "J tr
remember j
said to
making
ht tQ
I r
points' all the time in our pulpits and
not'deal in platitudes and inanities,
That one interrogation put to me- that
morning started in me the desire o
malting points all the time and nothing
How to Gkt the System Ready foe
the Spring.
"I always dread the Spring" he said
"it makes me feel so bad- 1 wake up
with a bad taste in my mouth and
1 .a rxt (rAnonAflfl anil RTslTiA QflVS 1 CAD
fu r7'rrrr-"
namiy puu .uuu
I Of course any man who does
not
j -
look after his system and starts into
... . . . ' I 1 Ll J
the Sonne witnout getting u mwu
1, ' a il UnnntiM tht have
cieauocu . -------
...nnni.tol thrnnoh t.h Inn? winter
-""""r T"2 . The
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE fti.oo.
NO. 11
No. 083. Made In 64, 48. 42, 36 Inch wfcWw.
$2.26 buys this Brass-trimmed White
Enameled Bedstead. In stock in all
widths ; length, 75 inches. It has one
Inch pillars, two-inch brass vases and
caps. This bed retails at from 6 to A
dollars.
Buy of the maker and save the mid
dleman's large profits. Our Catalogues
are mailed for the asking. Complete
lines of Furniture, Carpets, Draperies,
Crockery, Pictures, Mirrors, Stoves,
Refrigerators, Baby Carriages, Lamps,
Bedding, etc., are contained in these
books. Our Lithographed Carpet Cata
logue showing all (roods in hand-painted
colors is also free ; if Carpet Samples are
wanted mail us 8c. in stamps. Drop a
postal at once to the money-savers
and remember that w pay
freight this month on parent
of Carpet, Lace Curtaina, Por
tlertj and Bats amounting; to
$9.00 and over.
Julius Hincs Son
BALTIMORE, BID.
Please mention this Paper.
but points.
And now how can I more appropri
ately commemorate the two thousandth
publication than by speaking of the
newspaper press aa an allyot the pulpit
and mentioning some of the trials of
newspaper men?
The newspaper is the great educator
of the nineteenth century. Ihere is
no force compared with it. It is book,
pulpit, platform, forum, all in one.
And there is not an interest religious,
iterary, commercial, scientific, agri
cultural or mechanical that is not
within Us grasp. All our churches,
and schools, and colleges, and asylums,
and art galleries feel the quaking of
the printing press.
The institution of newspapers arose
n Italy. In Venice the first newspaper
was published, and monthly during the
time Venice was warring against Soly
man. The second in Dalmatia it was
printed for the purpose of giying mil-
tary and commercial information to
the Venetians. The first newspaper
published in England was in 1588 and
called the English Mercury. Who can
estimate the political, scientific, com
mercial and religions revolutions rous
ed up in England for many years past
by the press?
The first attempt at this institution
n France was in 1631, by a physician,
vho published the News, for the amuse
ment and health of his patients. The
French nation understood fully bow to
appreciate this power. So, earlv in 1820
there were in Paris 169 journals. But
n the United States the newspaper has
come to unlimited sway. Though in
1775 there were but 37 in the whole
country, the number oi puDiisnea
journals is now counted by thousands.
and today we may as well acknowl
edge it as not the religions and secular
newspapers are the great educators of
the ceuntry.
EARLY STRUGGLES OF THE PRESS.
But, alas, through what struggle the
newspaper has come to Its present de
velopment ! Just as soon as it began
to demonstrate its power superstition
and tyranny shackled it. There is
nothing tbat despotism so much fears
and hates as the printing press A
great writer in the south of Europe de
clared that the king of Naples had
made It unsafe for him to write on any
subject save natural history. Austria
could not bear Kossuth's journalistic
pen pleading for the redemption of
Nanoleon 1. wanting to
keen his iron heel on the neck of na
"""O"-- "
tions, said that the newspaper was the
regent of kings and the only sale place
to keep au editor was in prison. But
the great battle for freedom of the press
was fought in the courtrooms ot Eng-
gland and the United States before
this century began, when Hamilton
made tiia trreat speech in behalf of the
It if, or should be, the highest aim
of pverv merchant to please his custom
ers ; and that the wide awake drng firm
of Meyers & Jishlemau, sterling, xu
is
dcing so, is proven Dy the loiiowing.
f.nm Mr. Eshleman : "In my sixteen
years' experience in the drug business
I have never seen or sold or tried a
medicine that srave as good satisfaction
as Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera and
Diarrhoea Remedy. Sold by E. T.
Whitehead & Co.
II
IF YOU ARE HUSTID
-
YOU WILL
ADVERTISE
TOUB
Business.
Send Youb Advertisement in Now.
R.E.L.PITT,
TARBORO, N. C.
BICYCLES OF ALL KINDS ON
HAND.
ver Johnsons,
Pitsburg,
3
$100.
$75.
Suecialtv in renairiner.
All parts
furnished for any bicvele manufac
x r - m.
tured.
i'LUMBING AND ST 15AM FITTING
AT LOWL&T I BICES.
6 25 lv
"Woods Seeds Are Good
Seeds"
la the testimony of the thousands who
have sown, and are still sowing them
season after season.
Wood's Descriptive Catalogue
Is a most valuable help to the busy gar
dener or farmer, all through the year,
giving just the information he need about
all Seeds Time for Planting, Best
Methods off Culture Descriptions,
and points at to what crops it will pay
best to grow. It ia really a complete
manuallor the Garden and Farm, and
will be mailed free upon application.
T. W. WOOD & SONS,
SEEDSMEN, - - RICHMOND, VA.
THE LARGEST SEED HOUSE III THE SOUTH. S
freedom of J. Peter Zenger's Gazette in
America, and when Erskine made his
great speech in bebalf of the freedom
to publish 'Taine's Rights of Man" in
England. Those were the Marathon
and the Thermopylae where the battle
was fought which decided the freedom
ot the press in England and America,
and all the powers ot earth and hell
will never again be able to put upon
the printing press the handcuffs and
the hopples of literary and political
despotism.
It is remarkable that Thomas Jeffer
son, who wrote the Declaration of In
pendence, also wrote these words, "If
I had to choose between a government
without newspapers and newspapers
without a government, I would prefer
the latter." Stung by some new fabri
cation in print, we come to write or
speak about the "unfair printing press."
Perhaps through our own indistinct
ness of utterance we are reported as
saying just the opposite of what we did
say, and there is a small not of semi
colons and by pens and commas, and
we come to write or talk about the
"blundering printing press," or we take
up a newspaper full oi social scandal
and of cases of divorce, and we write or
talk about a "filthy, scurrilous printing
press." But this morning I ask you
to consider the immeasurable and ever
lasting blessing of a good newspaper. "
I find no difficulty in accounting for
the world's advance. What has made
the change? "Books," you say. No,
sir. The vast majority of citizens do
not read books. Take this audience or
any other promiscuous assemblage,
and how many histories have they
read? How many treatises on consti
tutional law, or political economy, or
works of science? How many elabo
rate poems, or books of travel? Not
many. In the United States the peo
ple would not average one such book a
year for each individual. Whence
then this intelligence, this capacity to
talk about all themes, secular and re-
igious ; this acquaintance with science
and art ; this power to appreciate ine
beautiful and grand? Next to the
Bible, the newspaper, swift-winged and
everywhere present, flying over the
fence, shoved under the door, tossed
into the counting house, laid on the
work bench, hawked through the cars.
All read it white and black, German,
Irishman, Swiss, Spaniard, American.
old and young, good and bad, sick and
well, before breakfast and after tea,
Monday morning, Saturday night, Sun
day and weekday. I new declare that
I consider the newspaper to be tne
grand agency by which the gospel Is
to be preached, ignorance cast out, op
pression dethroned, crime extirpated.
the world raised, heaven rejoiced ana
God glorified. In the clanking of the
pnnting press, as the sheets fly out, I
hear the voice of the Lord Aimignty
proclaiming to all the dead nations of
the earth, "Lazarus, come forth !" and
to the retreating surges of darkness,
"Let there be light !" In many of our
city newspapers, professing no more
than secular information, there have
appeared during the past thirty years
some of the grandest appeals in behalf
of religion and some of the most effec-
tive interpretations of God's govern
ment among the nations.
To be continued next week.