Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-15

Beading Matter on Every Page.
WASHINGTON CITY:
ItEsDAY............ October u. IS73.
Sunday Funerals.

In our local columns yesterday the report
was given Of 3 rather lively discussion upon
grave 81 beet at a meeting of city csergymen.
set OF resolutions was adopted, protesting
sgainst the abuses of Sunday funerals, and re-
questing the members Of congregations and the
public generally, so far As possible not to select
that day for the burial Of the dead and to avoid
the nous OF public service and the employment
OF bands of music. II was represented in sup
iOrt OF the resolutions that the burial of the
dead Should be avoided on Sunday, because it
involves unnecessary work by undertakes,
livery stable men, hsckmen and horses, the
suIerints ndeuts Of cemeteries and their assist
ants &c in violation OF the fourth cOmmInl-
Htnti that II prevents such persons from at
tending divine services; iaterferes with the du-
ties OF ministers on the most import,ns AMI
lsto-ioUs day Of the week; and .becaus. b.nIs
OF music, playing the most olous AIRS ON their
retuIH from the grave, are often employed AZ
uactlie cToWds into the streets aud disturbihr
public worship"
In the discussions upon the resolutions, the
fear was expressed by one Of the speakers, that
In view OF the sharp controversy upon the Sun
day paper question, The press woald now
tt.-Ae NJ the oudgels in behalf OF the Sunday fu-
nersls. This fear we judge to be unfounded.
The fact is, the Sunday funeral business has
grown to be an ostentatious, noisy nuisance. In
the times long past, such funerals as came neces-
saTily on that day were quiet, unobtrusiye af-
fairs; or IL more public, were conducted in
decorous style, and with dgnifed and impress
sive ceremonies by the Masons, Odd Fellows
and kindred influential orders; and the time
selected was usually after the main church ser
vices Of the day were over. But now the Sab
bath Is made sort Of display day for funeral
professions. Every Tomb and Harry or
ganizatiOn of men, or half grown boys Is sure to
be out on that day in red, green, blue, or white
'horse-collsrs," with a hearse and brass band,
In such sort as to suggest the prevalence of an
epidemic An organization of this kind has its
headquarters within a stones throw OF this
Office. IL is the Grand Concentrated Bang-Up.
Junior Branch Of the Senior Order of the A. b.
T.. ID. +. +. G.. II. 1. j. OF the Something or
Other. Its regalia is stunning, aud Ii has a
brass band 50 exceptionally superior, in Its way
that II would be faint praise to designate it as
internal just 50 sure a Sunday comes, just so
sure axe his party out with their band ami their
heaTse. II used 10 be said of the PaiIaielphia
fTemen that if one 81 their members died on
Monday they would keep him on ice all the
week TO give him Sunday funeral Tna
society across the street always have a corpse On
hand for Sunday. Either that they use a
dummy. ON the whole We think they use A
Anu SONtty uSNcE seemed
TO number more than about thirty. Their
ranks are, apparently, always fun, and
yet they ostensibiy bury a member a.
regularly as Sunday Comes around. For
fity-tWO Sundays a year, for the last half
dozen years-or during the existence OF the
society-the supply OF the weekly corpse has
been pu netual and unremitting. Now, no soci-
ely OF thirty could stand such q drain. II must
be that a dummy Is used. And this raises the
enquiry whether dummies may not be empIoyed
by others OF the numerous organizations that
parade every Sunday with hearses and brass
bands, aud 60 out of the city to slow music and
come back to the lively measure OF % Pop Goes
tbs Weasel" 1t would be some satisfaction to
know that this IL really the case, and that the
mortality Indicated by the Sunday funeral dis
plays does hot exist. Bat this would not miti
gate the affection of the funeral brass bands
that make Sunday hideOus in Washington.
There il no good reason Why, when oyster horns
and horse bells are prohibited on sunday, these
brazHn Instruments of torture should be tole-
rated. The elergymen need have no fear thar
the pres will discourage them in their righteous
raid ups the braZen Sunday funeral nuisance