The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-30
Che g d]a' ';g Arens,
Why not Sundays !

The exposition grandees announces that
the building will be open, commencing to-
morrow. every day except Sundays"
Why not Sundays? The exposition is to
continue one month. To the local public
it will be the busiest month of the year.
Apart from the extra trade entailed by the
advent of visitors from abroad, the natu-
raj business of the season will be unusu-
ally heavy. Trade and manufactures are
treshening in Chicago, and capitalists and
employees are overworked already. There
will be thousands who will not find an hour
they can call their own during the next
four weeks, except on Sundays, Why
should they net have a chance to look in
on the exposition beauties and marvels as
we'll as those whose time is not to be so
completely occupied?
Nobody will assert that there is anything
sacrle gious in walking through the aisles
aud galleries of the exposition structure on
Sunday. The machinery is certainly not
a mora agent 1t has no immortal soul,
and cannot be hindered by perdition fears.
1t will work as blithely on Sunday as any
other day The men who attend its vari
GUS wants are comparatively few. 1t they
should have any conscientious scruples,
they can dress themselves little smarter
on Sundays than during the remainder of
the week Extra attention to clothes is
the chief observance of the Lords day
everywhere.
In the other departments of the exposi-
ton, no possible objection can be urged to
the Sunday idea, The flowers will bloom
in the grand conservatory their perfumes
will be as exquisite; their hues as glorious,
the first day OF the week as the last. The
modest violet, the gorgeous cactus bios
SONS, the tender rose and the chaste Gala
have not yet learned to fold their leaves
and browse uselessly through the dull
hours of a Puritanical Sabbath. The
paintings will all be in their places, and
their lessons will be as pure and lofty on
Sundays as at other times, There are ser
mons in some of them grander and more
understandable than any which will be
preached in Chicago this year, OF this cen
fury. No priest can picture the sweet
story of the "Annunciation so deity as
Van Schendals noble painting does it No
clergymen can elaborate the human fail
ings of good st. Peter as truly as Jaussen's
great work. The Denial Of Christ. Du-
bufe's mighty effort tells more of ''The
Prodigal Son." his downfall, his misery,
and his repentance, than can be told by a
thousand occupants OF dreary palpits.
Clearly, the exposition art gallery can &C.
complish more toward the elevation of Chi |
cage morality if allowed to preach on Sun
days.
The products of mans industry, too, can
teach the glorious possibilities of human
skill with equal fervor each day of the
week. We gaze on carvings, fine wood |
work. rare upholstery, and marvellous stain
ed glass, church; why not at the expcsi.
ton? We listen to violin, cello, and organ
at church why not at the exposition? The
Savior of man hesitated not to pluck the
ripe grain on the Sabbath, Shall we be
damned for looking upon the garnered
prize cereals of the exposition
Give all an opportunity to visit and i'm
prove by the teachings of this noble dis
play, at all times. Our saloons are open
on Sunday. The exposition may coax
many from their portals. The street-cars
run on Sunday. Let them carry their |
loads to the exposition as we'll as to the
turbulent beer garden, gloomy cemeteries, |
and dusty suburbs. The churches are all |
open on Sunday but there are not enough |
of them to hold tenth part of the sinners. |
Religious services might be held in the
exposition building The attendance at
such services would be enormous; the
good incalculable People have already
shown that they prefer religious exercises
in theatre 1.-THE ordinary meeting house
services. Salvation in the exposition
building would have the charm of novelty, |
and many brand-could be snatched from
the burning which otherwise might be
doomed to burn eternally
When the last grand worlds fair at
Paris was about to be opened, some Eng
lish Aminidab Sleeks were seized with
characteristic desire to be impertinently
holy. They besought the French govern
ment to shut up the whole show on Sun
days. Amusement at the proposition
found one general expression throughout
Europe. "Why, Sunday is the best day
of all!' was the crv.-Chicaqo Times.
lord, what cow!" was the approy-