Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-02-09
C. O III III Inicd t / o II q !.
4G7 tie Gazette

lion of - Sunday travelling IN WHICH L
think YOU have mistaken the views OF the
petitioners 10 the Legislature upon the sub
iect, as well as the views of majority OF
The community. You say
owe noticed some weeks ago that the Central
Railroad had discontinued running the passen-
GER trains on Sundays, and now perceive that a
number OF petitions have been presented in the
Legislature asking closing of the public works
against trade aud travel on that day. Although
81 first view, especially to religious minds, this
may be deemed very proper course, we doubt
whether il would answer the end intended, VIZ
the observance of the Sabbath day as day OF
iest.n
Now. sir. in this and the remarks that
follow think you arc altogether wrong
Let the canal, by authority of the Legisla-
ture, be closed upon the Sabbath, and 1t
will at once secure rest TO thoSe very USE
full animals, the horse and mule, without
anv danger Of creating amongst them as
necessary consequence either . rowdyng,
drunkenness" or its accompaniments
cursing and swearing" | have some
experience on the line of canal, and [ am
free TO say as the result OF that experience,
that if such law were passed, bOatmen
generally with perhaps excepting the
packet would not only acquiesce in 1t, but
hail it as an act of justice to themselves
and iheir animals. As one OF them, |
sincerely believe it would be conducive TO
d great moral change in that class OF men,
for there are amongst them, as among all
other classes of laborers. men of intellect,
whose minds are well disposed to read and
reflect to advantage if they were allowed
one dav in seven TO rest the mind as well
as the J0dy from labor. But on the con-
trary, | believe the mind as well as the
body is impaired by successive and con-
1lnued labor. 1t is no argument to this to
say, as you have already said, that ne who
does not wish to run his boat on the Sab
bath can " tie up" Any person acquaint-
ed with the carrying trade, will see at once
that it will not do for him TO tie up his boat
while others, who started after him, are
allowed 10 pass him and arrive at the place
Of their destination before him. But sup
pose one NAV wish to tie up the boat
and stable the horses, attend church, and
spend the dav in devotion :" that one may
not be the person having control OF the
beat Then the whole boat crew must do
violence to conscience, because one man
has the power to say the boat must proceed.
Do YOU call this " well enough" and the
best way !'' In addition TO this, consider
the number Of small BOYS that are engaged
on the canal as drivers: they too must
Weld to circumstances, and learn to forget
those pious precepts taught them perhaps
by a widowed mother. His catechism
taught him that the Lord commanded him
10 " remember the Sabbath day and keep
1t holv," and that it was there forbidden
him to drive his team on the Sabbath
that his employer was there forbidden to
cause either his men or his cattle to work
upon that DAY. But now he is taught a
different lesson. He is not only taught
that it is right for him to disregard all those
early teachings, but the example is con-
tinually kept before him, and as he now
has no opportunity more OF referring to
his books, he soon forgets accountability,
and the effect upon his moral character IN
after life is easily immaglned. But you
continue by saying
."For some years past our collectors have been
in the habit of closing their oiices from morning
until six or seven o'clock in the evening, thus
bring together boats from above, as well as be-
low-the result of which invariably was roWdy-
ing, fighting, drinking, and any amount OF cur
sing and swearing-a result we are free to say,
which would not have been produced had the
boats been suffered to proceed as they arrived" 4"
Now, sir, if YOU had examined those
petitions you would have found that those
very evils are the ones which the petition
ers expect to remedy by the passage OF
the law asked for Just authorize the lock-
tenders TO close their locks at II o'clock on
Saturday night, and III be bound 1t will he
done. The result then will be that each
boat with its crew viii stop IN the level
that II o'clock on that night finds them.
You, Mr.. Editor, were you locktender,
can very easily imagine how readily yon
would close your lock if such a law were
passed. But as the matter now stands the
locktender is confined and compelled to be
al his post from the time the navigation
opens in the spring until it closes in the
fall, day and night, without intermlsslon,
and that, too, for paltry consideration
But that is not all he is forced against lis
own inclination and better judgement to do
violence to his conscience, which tells him
God has commanded remember the Sab
bath day to keep it holy in it thou shalt
not do Gny work" But man has com
manded him TO work on the Sabbath OF
lose his situation during the week Now
all that is asked of the Legislature IS to
pass law 20 prohibit men from exercising
that power over his fellows which compel>
him 10 obey man rather than God. Why
sir, thc eeriest slave of the South has Sab
bath privileges and is only accountable t
God for The manner in which he spends it
The petitioners ask for law that will ex
tend the same privileges to those poor mer
and boys engaged on the canal that are en-
]oyed by other citizens, namely: a day o