Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-09-22
The Sunday Train.
By REV. E. c. BASS

now gone. No other so large part OF
Christendom has SO well remembered the
fourth commandment for two and one halt
centuries. The New Englander has not
been the man to buy and sell, to travel
visit or toll on the Sabbath.
But the Sabbath is not safe even in New
England. Many thousand people OF other
lands and with other views and habits have
come to live on these hills and in these
valleys. And a new civilization has been
introduced here The railway, chiefest of
modern revolutionizers, has taken posses
sion of this hill country also. And with
this taciluy for Sunday travel and freight
ING comes the pressing temptation to 60
and do business on the Lords day. Before
the day of railroads in Northern Vermont
II large manufacturing firm Gts shadow
does not grow less) dismissed teamster
for driving in" (only a few miles and
very e:rly) on Sabbath morning. Orders
were that no team should on any occasion
draw freight on the Sabbath How many
business men now take the Sunday morn
ing train home,
Passenger trains will be run, the mails
will be carried, and freight will be moved
on the Sabbath over every railway in New
England as soon Us - 1t will pay' and pub
lie sentiment consents to it. And. except
US God shall curse the Dissertation, it will
pay rs soon as public sentiment will allow
it. The more we can hurry the more
hurry we are in Travel and trade already
feel restrained. This one day in seven is
in the way of many and multiplying en-
and hates the restraints it imposes. If the
spirit of Mammon prevail. the Sabbath
Will be Overborne
The railway is not the only means for
public wickcdneSs and private shining
But the railway is the symbol Of the civil
izalion of this century. 1t marks the
most advanced progress of the race in
bringing nature INFO service to man. And
withal. the railway is the mighticst monop-
oily, the money king. in the land, And
Suud,ty on the MilOny must index the
character of sunday thron .hout the lani
The sacret.ness of the Sabbath in public
esteem will correspond with the license
which the railway has to do business in
holy time. When the railway shall have
no Sabbath. there will be but little of Sab
bath anywhere.
And the Church is the responsible,
guardian of the Sabbath. Every membel
OF the church is mea>uraby responsible"
Ii the New England Sabbath goes "v. /
'"ard. the New England Christian viii. h,.
,cld To account.
And ut no other point is the fight for
ur Sabbath to be more fierce. AS tn,
rain goes, SO goes the Sabbath. And tic
Christian who.would preserve his sabbath
and put IN embargo on Sunday train
must on principle gut using Sunday trains
That early Sunday morning train is not III,
one for the Christian man to come home
on.
The Sunday meeting train has lately re-
opened this discussion. The foremos
pulpit and platform talker of America ha>
spent another season in the White Noun
tains and interested parties have caught AT
their opportunity to make money in
running Sunday excursion trains to his
preaching All Northern New England
has Numbered with the Sunday trains
hundreds of congregations have beer
hinned to fill up the Twin Mountain tent
Worshipping assemblies have been dis.
turbed by the passing trains. And who j.
blameworthy? Rather, who is not culpa.
BILE? At least who has 4 right to ." cast the
first stone?" If this late display of Sunday
Z de>ecration shall only startle the goot
! people of New England, showing them
e how and whittier they are drifting on the
" Sabbath que stion, and lead to a training
- up of the conscience of New Bingham,
Il Churches, a, to the Sabbath, it will be
well.
And the NJ. L. Church has made itSel
more responsible than all other Churches
' in New England, in regard to the Sundt,
l. meeting train. The Camp Meeting Sun
II day trains, and the Conference Suntl;.,
= trains. are our condemnation in this mat
u ter. A Presiding Elder, who had Sund;,,
1t trains engaged for his own Camp Meeting
~ well said, s. our mouths are shut from crit
> icising Beecher's Sunday trains" Truly,
:, Beecher has us good a right to hold
y, Sunday tent meeting, as twenty other men
~ The cases are not fully parallel, but tn
~ vital principle is involved in both
Vi The NJ. f. Church cannot bear its du
and responsible testimony against railwa7
~ Dissertation of the Sabbath until it cease
o. to use, invite or allow the Camp Meetin
y or Conference Sunday trains Probabl
- no railroad superintendent would send
i. Sunday train to Conference if the Churc
I'd should protest. And the Camp Meetin
he should close before Sabbath, or close il
no gates during the Sabbath.
lie NEW YORK DEMOCEATs-The Ne,
ut York democracy at Syracuse last weel
by had Il little squabhling over contested del,
n cations f,om New York City and Alban,
Id. but the immaculate Kelley heat the vir.,
Ig. Gus democracy. and Tammany was Il h,l
k. py wigwam. The convention was "lun
re- by Sammy" Tilden's men to the Cover
m. ors liking, and the canal men did not h,v
cr much to do with the management. Alt,
@ether it was a rrmtrka',ly sensible col
or venton and its patfo m is an excelleI
:. on. If the democratic party carry ont tt