The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-02
concluded from third mage. J

zone | jumped and cried. Sundays gone Ii
sundays gonel Sundays gone p
The legislature looks upon the Sabbath
IS simply secular day. 1t defends it, but
t does not ordain in. The legislature has
simply right to say that people who wish
to assemble on one day of the week for re-
igious worship shall not be interrupted,
and say so too; they have that right, but
it is for secular reasons, and it is the world
day SO far as they are concerned. All the
legislation we need must lie in the public |
sentiment of the common people, They
must be made to see that it is their day. |
1t is their interest. their families interest |
SUNDAY is THE COMMON FOLKS DAY,
and if it can be shown that the mainten
aGce OF one seventh of the time is neces-
sary for the common people the legislature
may ordain it or defend it. What, then,
are those benefits which should make our
citizens feel that it is not day to be
thrown away or frittered away? I re-
mark. first, it is day of rest from labor
1t is the first step upward in the line Of de-
velopment. There is not one single word
IN the whole Mosaic economy that incul
Gates religious service, it is merely ordain-
ed that man should not work. 1t was not
set forth that man should not go to
church or not, or that he should or should
not laugh and sin; it simply said that all
work should be suspended. Consider
THE GREAT NEED OF THE COMMON PEOPLE
that shall have no Master but God. On
Sunday no man can say why are you late,
no man can say on that day he is son of
God, and there is no class that stands so
vigorously in need of Sunday as the poor
man, and Tor his sake it should be main
tanned. We are bound by all the hope we
have OF converting the great toiling mass
es. we are bound so to use the Lords day
as that we shall not seem to them aristo-
cratic or self indulgent, making rigorous
laws for the poor, we ourselves not feeling
those laws because of being lifted by cir
cumstances above them,
Next to rest Of body is social education
one day for
SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT
1t the laboring man wants to 90 to the
Park, if in his judgement he needs to go.
| say 90. say the qualification of the
social feelings, at least the publication of
them-for that Sunday was made. The
Sunday is my servant, and make it step
around, and that is my Masters doctrine
When you consider the way in which the
poor live in crowded cities, how they are
crammed into tenement houses, we must
see that the best thing we can do for them
is to rout them out and to keep them out
These are facts that Christian men ought
to take into consideration. They ought
not to eXalt Sunday so as to make it a
matter Of oppression for the common peo-
pie. In this way you do not destroy the
Sunday you only make it day of remis
sion from toll. So, then, the first reason
is release from bodily toll, and the next is
the gratifeaiion of the social side of mans
nature. First, IN church services; see
ondly, IN the noust no1C service and
thirdly, in any other way conducive to
health and enjoyment The next reason
Is that Sunday ought to be a day for in
struction.
SUNDAY OUGHT NOT TO BE A DAY SIMPLE
FOR MERE PLEASURE;
it should be day in which our manhood
should be enjoyed and confirmed by aug
mented knowledge. Now, SO far as tht
common people are concerned, there is NJ
institution which has in it so much knowl
edge as the Church. I woald say to every
laboring man, whether he agrees with thu
| doctrine or not, that it cannot be that ;
man who goes fifty two times in one yea,
to church-it would be strange even il
the poorest churches should not gather
, some knowledge, should not be stimulated
, to it, not only for knowledge In genera
but Of the higher forms of knowledge
: Do undervalue churches because speal
of them irreverently? No; [ think they
are Indispensable. They are like schools
and colleges. academies. They are al
man made but not the less divine for that
: For that which man makes and make.
: right is divine. Lastly, the Sabbath
should be employed for the
SPIRITUAL DEvE1opMENT,
that which is more than the social, NOR,
than physical, more than intellectual devel
J opment Of those feelings which lead to tn,
! Investigation and diffusion of religious
truths.
All OF these are concurrent elements
They ali tend to make men stronger an,
wiser and better,and such uses of the Sab
bath would make it transcendent valu,
to the Individual and citizen at large
fow,you ask NE, do you not think it woult
be good thing to bring in concerts. places
OF amusements? No, [ 90 not. You asl
why. Why have they not Just as mucl
right to go inside of public building ant
expound Hamlet as | have to go in ant
expound st. Augustine? If your choi
may sing and your organ play why may no
Strakosch give us the opera | cannot an
swer that on legal grounds. At presen
the laws forbid it. and the law, should b,
5 o1eyed. If you ask me what right vol
, have to make such laws my reply is l d,
8 not see any ground on which you can re
strain them from these amusements. S,
f long as it is the law it must be observed
J but | do not see the ground on which vol
make the discrimination against them, 81
that they
Do NOT INTERFERE WITH OTHER PEOPLE
But if you ask me if there is an educatins
force in these things or a refining force
, is the influence right or wrong, as under
stand them, it does not seem to me tina
the influences under which these things
} come up tend to the public good. d,
do not see that they tend to make youns
men better, but if they can be shown t.
be benefit to the household then
should advocate them. But there is al
argument against them that they tend tt
se.ularize men, to scatter their social inhu
ences-tor that reason | should declare
against them. All usages ought to be
such as tend to make more for the indi
vidual, more for the family. and more fol
; immortal man.
: [ advocate Sunday first that it is day
for the poor man. My heart goes out to-
: ward the race. have never been mar