The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-11
An Episcopal bishop on the sunday
Question.

tlOn 10 DC 70 CcEIaA4 eAtSHG . "OGAA"S
mans question. As the phrase goes cap
ital can always take care Of itself; it can
have as many holidays or holydsys as it
desires, but the case is different with the
labor of the country. 1t can only have a
day Of rest in pursuance Of law, and law
setting aside one day in seven as day of
rest depends largely on the public opinion
Of the country, or, in other words, on the
reverence that the public may feel for a
Sabbath observance.
As this part OF the Bishops sermon will
be matter Of interest to many Of our
readers We quote from it as follows:
when Sunday loses its sanctions as a
holy day it necessarily becomes holiday.
Worship ceases. There is no attention 10
religious instruction. Rest might mean,
for few, intellectual. improvement; but
as human nature is, it means for the null
titude, amusement; and amusement SELF
indulgence, and selt.indnlcence vice. 1t
IS 50 now, where the irreligious element
largely prevails.
/ weekly holiday, calling to nothing
higher than idleness or amusement,
would tend to social denomination. You
will say that sur occasional holidays, such
As Christmas and Thanksgiving and 9Th OF
July, are not so dreadful in their tend
encies: but remind you thSt they are
not OF frequent recurrence, that religion
has given and sanctifed two Of them, and
that weekly holiday would displace
morality and religion from all days do
not think any Of Us are ready yet to admit
thSt no day Of worship and weekly 9Th
OF July would promote the public good.
The civil Sabbath, which is the weekly
legal holiday, and protects men in their
right to rest one day in seven, would have
NO right to exist if abstaining from labor
meant drunkenness and excess; The vel
fare Of society which now demands it
would, without its religious sanction, tery
soon Justify It's abolition.
The demand OF one class for amusement
must be met by the labor Of another class.
The places OF amusement must be opened.
The saloons must be available The rail-
roads must have their trains in motion.
The demand creates supply. The cigar
shops must open their doors; the drug
stores have their soda water fountains run
ming II all hours; the coutectioners be
ready to sell. Every man has = natural
right.to rest one dav in seven, but If Sun
dav becomes . mere holiday, many men
must be deprived Of that right.
The decline OF the religious sentiment
incident to the non-maintenance OF the
sacredneSs Of Sunday makes way for the
triumph OF selfshneSs and the greed Of
grain. The holiday would not stand be-
fore them. II Sundays excuses unfit 3
man for Mondays WORK, had he not better
work every day? There would be strong
reasons for letting business 90 on without
interruption. The inevitable tendency
would &c to secnlari1e the day. The pro-
cess OF secnliariEing is going on now in
many OF our cities The result must be no
Sabbath rest Al all.
! think these propositions are seli-evi-
dent, and prove that the benefits OF the
Sabbath, which all agree TO prize are
bound up with its sacredness.
am sustained in this opinion by men
who do not look At the question from re-
ligious standpoint. "lf," says the editor
OF the London TTEas, ''the S9cred charac.
ter OF the day be once obscured, there
would not remain behind an influence
strong enough to keep thrifty tradeSman
from his counter for twelve hours together.
A man who would obscure the day as 3
Sabbath would retrench it as 4 holiday,
and thus competition and imitation would
at length bring all to the common leTel Of
universal PROCLAMATION and continuOuStOil. y
The editor Of the New York TG5snH, in
an article approving OF the action OF the
United States Grand Lodge Of Odd Fell
lows in refusing to allow the subordinate
lodges 70 meet on Sunday, writes: lire
spective Of any religious question, the dii.
fculty IS that the seculATiEation Of Sunday
will tend to diminish its prestige IS 4 sea-
son Of reSt from physical labor, and this
would be . consumStion to Be deprecated.
for the reason that in this overactive, and,
IS We sometimes think, fatally busy coun-
Try, 3 very little opportunity will set 4
considerable portion Of producers to work
on Sunday, thus Complaining the labor
question. which heaven knows Is compli.
Gated enough already"
want the men, especially, who call
themselves workingmen, to take notice
that their right to reSt one day in seven
can only be secured by maintaining the
SacredneSs OF Sunday. Religion gave rs
the day, religion protects il, and religion
alone can preserve It. Proudhon, writing
from your standpoint, contendins for YOUR
rights, locking toward social reforms, and
familiar with the evils Of Sabbath descra.
ton, charges his eountrymen TO restore
and preserve the solemnity Of the Sab
bath" He SEES in it the principles Of re
form; he shows that for reasons civil,
moral, domestic and hygienique it should
be maintained, and he declares that the
working classes are too much interested in
the maintenance Of it, erer to allow it TO
perish.
Upon vorkingmen its maintenance
largely depends. No one would force ron
to 50 to church or be religious No law
Of the land can do more than prohibit
common labor, protect the quiet OF those
who want real rePOse and worship; and
protect society Is far As possible Seainst
demonstrating traffic and pernieious
The Sabbath In lis integrity
can only be secured BY q correct public
sentiment. ! believe that many Of the
lleu Nu9AEG C!A4Se1 htNl NestSL tue
sabbath would have it otherwise il they
could iberate themselves from the Gssc-
cations and competition which hold
hem. It IS for the men who most need
The sabbath rest, and would war against
nv action which would deprive them Of
i, to give their influence 10 the mainten-
lnee Of It's SacredneSS In that SacTedneSS
heir best rights reside. 1.-THE day Is 70
x seeulariDed by being made . holiday
hey are TO Be the sufferers Let them |