The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-11
SUNDAY WORK.


SUNDAY WORK.
For some time pest thsrt have bern some
moralixing paragraphs IN aapossioa Of ehs
press OF this city on the subject Of Sunday
work, which was represented in the most abb
houeuslighi, and the Typographical Associa-
ton or the city was exhorted to take the mat
ter in hand, as If they were the iaw-makipg
poner Of the State. 10 say WHAT SHALL
BE and WHAT SHALL NOT BE. That
Society, fancying that il really was endowed
~iik his power, proceeded, with very little de-
lay; 10 comply with the requestmade OF them.
The whole object Of this appeal to that Assoc
cia,on was to obtain the aid Of their combina-
ton in forcing the rhole press into Submission
to the moral views entertained by the authors
Of these paragraphs-as il might be Injurious
to those who abstained from publishing Mon-
day.morning what came in the mails Sunday
for any one else to do so. The Typographical
Society, like the silly raven who was fattered
by the fox into The conceit that she could sing,
was wheedIed into the idea Of it's compelling
power, and, as we said above, very graciously
responded to the call. -.
Saturday last, q committee of their body
waited upon one of the Editors of this paper,
andon behalf Of the Society requested his Coz
operation In the abolition OF Sunday work.
He replied that he declined making any ar
rangement with them, as he thought they had
no earthly authority over the subject; but that
il was matter entirely between the publishers
and the printers engaged in their respective
Offices. They begged to argue the subject, and
their spokesman did argue, to show that there
was no necessity for Sunday work. To this,
Of course, be had the courtesy to reply, aud
they then begged that he would write down his
reasons for them. He replied that he had not
time; nor was he disposed to do so, since he
took for granted that his written views were
solicited with q purpose to some publication,
and he preferred to give those views in his own
paper, should there be occasion to do so. He
begged them, therefore, simply to say that he
declined to enter into any arrangement with
the Society on the subject Of their mission
He was then urged, with considerable earnest
ness. to write even that much, and rather than
be rude, he said il he found time before
O'Clock, he might do so. He did not find time.
This is true history of what occurred, and of
what has been very tunglingly stated by the
committee itself. We take occasion to say
ahat the most sensible remark made by any
member. of the committee. was made by very
genteel and polite young gentleman, whom we
did not then know, but who we since learn was
foreman of the Republican Office. that he would
OPPOSE ALL ATTEMPT AT COER-
CION. We trust that the creditable promise
was sustained by an equally creditable act
Yesterday the papers contained, as we anti |
cipaiej, the responses of the other daily papers
of this city to the diplomatic communication
Of the most potent Typographical Association,
together with the resolve of the Society itself.
From this publication, it appeared that the |
Dispatch was entirely alene in its resistance |
20 tire dicfation OF the SocieIy-entireIy alone |
in the spirit OF enterprise which prompts its |
conductors to allow no avoidable delay in |
the publication of the news which reaches |
this city. We are perfectly willing to occupy |
this solitary position, with all its consequences,
and defy oil who are engaged in the a,temptto
deprive us of our ability to do SO by intini-
dating and driving from our employment the |
hands necessary 20 set up the types in our
Office.
When a sailor enlsts for long voyage, let |
his scruples be what they may, he does not |
contemplate the possibility of being allowed
to dispense with Sunday work while on board |
When a laborer makes a contract with |
farmer, he does not expect that he will not be |
called on to assist in securing the crop. pro-
vided it be threatened with danger on Sunday. |
At the gas works, in this city, and every
Sunday. Yet we ds>uot learn that the congre-
cations which assembly under the lights which
their labor affords, feel Sny qualms of con-
science when they read their hymn books by
them, or are less edited by the instructions of
their pastors, because there are numbers hard
at work manufacturing on the Sabbath for
their convenience.
If the sailor, the farm-aborer, or the men
engaged in the manufacturing gas, should OBJ
ject to working Oh Sunday. the answer would
be plain enough. You should not have Ell.
tered into any business which implied the ne.
cessity OF working on the Sabbath. You
should have thought of oil this before YOU
came here" And this answer would have
proceeded not from any contempt of the
Sabbath, but from the necessity of the case.-
We contend that the necessity is equally
strong upon the editor of daily. especially
penny paper.
The very existence Of such paper depends
upon its conveying the latest intelligence TO its
readers. Strip ii Of this character. and il must
go down, carrying whit the means of the pro-
prietors subsistence, and throwing out Of em-
ployment oil who are in any way dependent
upon his office. This, we know, has been de,
MED, but the facts are too strong for any DENIAL
When the Offices stopped Sunday work before,
many truly pions, and Al least as many who.
made no pre,enlions to piety, applauded the