and had sub-divisions, each devoted to a distinct class of literature.
One department contained all non-sectarian religious publications;
another the sectarian; still a third was devoted to daily newspapers,
partisan and non-partisan; yet another contained all trade journals;
another all the scientific periodicals, and thus the plan was continued
throughout.
This was the busiest place of all, for some of the periodicals had
their offices in this hall, while others had representatives there,
so that countless thousands thronged the sub-departments daily. Each
sub-department had its own corps of lecturers.
Many editors, before entering into active service, take the entire
series of courses offered by this hall, and are thus taught to
prevaricate, abbreviate, and exaggerate, or do ought else to attain
the end in view.
I saw Mr. World and Miss Church-Member pass by one sub-department after
another. They were not pleased with the excitement that prevailed.
They had intended however to pause at the department devoted especially
to the Sunday newspaper question, and tarried at the door long enough
merely to catch these few words from one of the speakers:
"I am a member of the church myself, and bear an honorable name therein;
but I am unwilling to be classed with a set of bigots who would rob
us of our personal liberties and, if possible, place all kinds of
restrictive measures about our inalienable rights. I stand for liberty
first of all, and tyranny never. Why should one dictate to me what I
shall read on Sunday? I look at my Bible more than one hundred times
a year, and read a Sunday newspaper only fifty-two times. It was a
happy change that started the regular press of the country to yield
seven issues a week, and thereby send forth additional rays of
enlightenment to a people who are in sad need of all that they can get
to increase their intelligence.
"According to my opinion there are so many practices that are worse
than reading a Sunday newspaper that Satan must surely be annoyed to
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