The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-02


the times will not long tolerate bondage in
auy direction. So this question is to be
discussed, not alone as an ecclesiastical
question, but we are to discuss it as states
men would discuss any question of policy.
We are not a nation homogeneous we
have received many men brought up un-
der different institutions, brought up with |
different ideas and different customs, and
we are glad of it; they add to our strength;
they have been taught to observe Sunday |
in one way and we have been taught to OBJ |
serve it in another way, and it would be
peculiarly unfortunate if the adjustment OF
things should lead to a prejudice OF the
question. It should therefore, be discussed
in large spirit so that we may be able to
adjudicate and settle this question without
any national descriptions, and it can be done
| if men will keep down their malign feel
| ings and use their reason All questions
| of social economy can and will De settled Dy
the wants Of the people and not by eccle-
siastical usage
therefore propose to discuss this ques-
ton tonight
| WHOLLY FROM THE HUMAN SIDE
from the economic and social side. Con-
slider the history of the.facts..: When New
England was first settled, our FORE fathers
felt that the Lords day required that the
church and the magistrate should look at
ter the whole conduct of everybody on that
day. First, in the household. our forefath-
ers determined what things might be done
and what not, They even interior
ed with the social family usages
of the people, and said what
might be cooked and what not, but that
passed away with comparative speed; it
was an intrusion that could not long bear
the light of liberty. They pretended to
say who should go to church, but that has
all passed away. You cannot force men
to 90 to church now You can invite them,
but you cannot force them, and so with
travelling. There were laws against
travelling on the Lords day, and man
was liable to be arrested if found travel
ling, and he had to show that it was neces-
sayy for him to do so. SO when Bristol
was largely port into which heathens
we're Imported citizen who was arrested
for travelling on Sunday gave as an excuse
that he had received intelligence of the ar
rival of a slave ship and he thought it nee
lessary to be on the spot to attend to his
oopa;s.nent of slaves, and the magistrate
took the same view and let him go.
Laughter) Then there was controversy
as to the carrying Of the mails, but that
was settled and the mails go. The COM
mon people have settled that, while there
should be difference between Sunday
and week days, yet great imperative inter
ests demand that there should be a trans
mission of the mails.
Then there were the railroads and the
city horse cars. The trains do not run "a;
they do on week days but for those inter
ests which are in perative they do run, anG
/ the horse cars have been deemed Of sucl
. convenience that they run as on other days
. And SO the question of opening libraries
!, and public parks has been debated, bu
they are no longer so, and those questions
may be considered as settled. And in re
l gard to all these things men say il is a re
: taxation Of conscience, a giving up OF tn
+, old ways of our fathers. On the othe
3 hand, say it is growing humanity,
!, feeling Of the common people that
J. THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN,
h and that it should ha ~.'---'a'r--@, =
If ne areat essential wants should b.
\ Fserved ny it, and not reprcSscd, III order t
n keep it,
q On the other hand when the openiag o
h drinking saloons and places Of boistcrou
J. amusement is demanded tie simple com
n mon sense Of the people refuses to sane
ton it, aud the police are ordered to shu
3 them up. The simple sense OF the peOpl
: demands that those elements that pla,
e upon the animal passions shall not be to
e Grated, but that everything that tends
}, RAISE MEN AND MAKE THEM BETTER
shall be tolerated, The authority for Sun
!, day is not derived from either the Old o
= the New Testament or from the churc
or the legislature, but from the conviction
OF the great body Of our citizens that it is
Il. public good, and that is the ground O
:. which Sunday has been entertained, tn
III conviction of the fathers and mothers, an
lg the citizens at large, who have a great &C
u vantage in that, and we ought to feel tina
IS Sunday may safely be trusted to the iude
e ment of the sober minded men who ar
n the stockholders in society. Plant in tn
Is whole community the conviction that tn
n Sunday benefits the community, and it wi
g stand and become delight. and honorabl
E. among all men. hese are difficult question
re to settle, land difficult to reconcile. The con
o. mon sense will go reluctantly with cas-
ne against principle. | do not pretend
he settle these difficulties. nor to say ho
ce they may be settled. tits to be regretted
lr There are presented all extreme views O
ne either side. In the first place, we are
at be jealous of extreme views on the side
it the church which tend to tie men up
is which tend to the arbitrary observance
b. the sabbath. 1t should be for the churc
u