The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-22

Indeed, the use made of cars directly TO the
advantage of religion will recur TO every one
who has ever attended service at Beecher's or
Cuyler's churches in Brooklyn, OF Chapin's
or Tyngs in New York. Ask the members,
or. If wv" prefers, the pastors themselves of
these churches if they would abolish car run
ming on Sundays, and then consider how very
much more extended is our own city than
either All people have a choice of churches. if
they are church members at all, and if there
exists convenient and cheap communication
by their doors, they have no excuse for remain
ing at home during service, be they ever so
far off, or the weather ever so inclement. Of
course, Mr.. Editor, speaking in behalf of the
great middle class of the community there is
no argument here for those who can afford to
live where they please, and are able to main
tain an establishment independent of their
neighbors These points were suggested by
the tender solicitude "W." expresses for the
morals of the community.
Touching the right of the people to decide
the whole question by ballot, is whore he
most wounds the pride and manhood of our
citizens. A purelylOcal matter, the Legislature
would have no right to refuse to listen to their
overwhelming verdict. With intelligence
enough to vote right on political matters, they
can as safely be trusted to decide questions
affecting either their convenience or morals.
What do men, who, many of them, until they
larger than their county seat know of the
needs of the second city i'll the Unioni And
what kind of an argument is it, that indivi-
duals may be enriched by legislation that affects
the welfare of all? Suppose the general law of
the State is in the way; if so, let the voice of
the city be heard by the Legislature, and if
their local necessities clash against Puritanic
laws, let them not submit without at least
right sturdy protests
As a rule, those who distrust the people are
not the ones to legislate for them, or to pass
ON what is for their good; and if the citizens of
Philadelphia should decide in favor of their
streets being used for their own accommodation
on Sundays as well as week days, the power
should not exist that gainsays them. If ''W."
remembers that in an election all citizens are
privileged to vote who have paid their taxes, the
extent of his slander of their good name is
seen when he says that-''Should vote be
ordered in this city, it would be decided by the
vicious and depraved." No less is it an insult
by the Legislature to submit the matter to the
Committee on Vice and immortality, for the
question is one raised as much in the interest of
intelligence and progressive Christianity, and
agitated as huch by those having the public
veal at heart, as by the troublesome foreigners
and brewers that seem so to haunt the mind
of "W.;" and though opposed now by all the
eloquence and power of narrow minded Sec
tarianism, not to mention the purses of livery
stable keepers, Sunday car travel will continue
to be a popular necessity; and although de-
clared unlawful, through a legal technicality,
the time must come when it cannot be said
with so much truth of Philadelphia, that
'The day is sacred, but man is vile''-and it
will as surely come as some other innovations
that the Church has gone out of its way to
oppose. CITIZEN.