The Portland daily press., 1877-03-15
The SUNDAY Pnper.

MIR. EDIToR:-The readers of the PRESS
received two surprises at an article with the
above caption in yesterday mornings issue
The first was very agreeable surprise that the
news boys who have been so great nuisance
on our streets on Sunday morning had been
justly restrained by the law. The annoyance
to thousands of our citizens had been practiced
SO long without rebuke from the authorities
that this assertion of their Sunday rights was
unexpected. But the greater astonishment.
was at the argument against the action of Nav
or Fessenden and for a continuance of this
grievance ndSoutrage.
1t is quite generally understood in Portland
that the Sabbath is religious institution made
by God for HIS worship and to be kept sacred
unto Him. The city is full of churches which
express this idea. And the attitude of the
community toward Sunday night concerts and
all entertainments that look to violation of
the day argues that the people who venerate
the institution are largely in majority. Now
have these people no rights? Shall the sancti.
ty OF the Sabbath, its quiet devotional morning
hours be intruded upon by the sale of secular
wares? Shall the thousands who on Saturday
night turn from business and secular matters
with thank God for the Sabbath on their
lips be pursued to their very doors on Sunday
morning and hooted at on the streets
by the agents of an editor who is pub.
fishing secular paper on Sunday for gain,
and when they protest, are they to be held up
as enemies of the town and warned not TO de-
populate it? If one man in three hundred has a
right to buy Sunday morning paper for his
pleasure, two hundred and ninety mine men
ought to have right to protest against the
yelis and screeches that turn their Sunday
mornings iuto bedlam. But look at the pro-
found arguments of the Times champion. The
Sabbath law enforced, the rights of Christian
community maintained, would ruin the busi-
ness OF worthy and deserving man. The same
argument would admit all kinds of hawkers of
wares upon our streets and wipe the day en-
tlrely from the calendar. No man has a right
to assert his personal interests against the pub
lie peace and good. If we are ready to set
aside the Sabbath for secular business, then
this argument is worthy Of thought; otherwise
1T is absurd. tits to be hoped that gain is not
yet God.
The publisher will compromise with the
church people The boys shan't cry after nine
o'clock. That would be an improvement over
their past conduct But the Sabbath does not
begin with the church services nor end with
them. There are devotionas more sacred if
possible than those conducted inside our Tenn
Piles. Shall these not be respected? Shall they
be invaded and rendered almost impossible by
the noise of trade?
"We must have a care lest our CITY become so
very virtuous as to be unnhabtable
THIS looks very much like an argument in
favor of free rum in another column of the
PRESS and may owe it, source to the same
paternity. The fact that men can't make
whiskey and alcohol in Portland has emptied
our warehouses And now if you keep the
Sabbath, men will move away! Let me sug-
grst that the loss of Sabbath-breakers from
community has never yet proved very oisas
trous. Portland under such a depopulation
wonld doubtless survive.
We must keep the banks Of the Sabbath
high and in sound repair if we would have the
channels of good order, morals and prosperity
run deep and full. For THE SABBATH.