Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1879-08-23
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
Sermoa 10 Preachers.

In the JOURNAL o. August I'd, sew
ere! articles appear, replying to an
eG.orial censuring tha ministers who
had refused to have anything to do in
early closing of the stores.
We do not wish to impugn the mo-
tives of these gentlemen but desire to
show the fsllacies they introduce in
sup crt Of their views. And in Or
der to more fully explain the state Of
affairs, brief synopsis Of the entire
proceeding will be given.
Heretofore efforts to establish the
early closing of the stores have been
fruitlees. This season az usual it was
thought Of end agitated more thor
ouqhly than every before, until it
was beginning to be accepted and
recognized as a movement deserving
the support of all intelligent and hu-
name people. The clerks did all in
their power to place The question be-
fore the people in its proper light, and
excite sympathy in their favor. A
committee was appointed from the
clerks to confer with The ministers to
secure their cooperation, taking it
purely on moral grounds. This COM
Inittce interviewed .hese gentlemen.
All (some were more enthusiastic
than othere) gave them encourage
moat, heartily agreeing that it YVES a
needed re oImation and beneficial. in
every respect. THIS committee did
not dictate to these gentlemen Low
thog werc % manifest their approval,
bQt coEcluded that it would be an
noanceI froa their pulpit, accom-
panied with few remarks illustrat-
ing the advantages to be derived,
should the plan be supported.
I,.e ministers held their meeting,
and at,=r celebrating seriously, with
two exceptions, arrived at this con-
clusion
TLat VIC regard the subject Of early clos
ing the stores of this city, to whi'h orr at
tention has been called by some Ji the mer-
chant and clerks, as nlrely sccu,- in its
character, and thai it is not our ,yrero "a
tivI, as ministers o. the church ot thiist
to interfere in matters of this na,ure. i,
do hereby most respectfully decline to take
action upon the sd1l5oct.
Inns resolution was appendagad
with quotations from the scripture
and I few of DR.. Adam Clarke's COM
mentar:es, of which we will t.aat
later.
Before enteria- ioto logical dis
cussion upon tie ocular grounds
taken we wish 10 refer TO the remark
made about the clerks using the early
hours fer getting drunk. One Of
these gentlemen contradicts this and
says:
On the contrary they were highly com
mended, but that it was said the clerks
years ago were addicted to those habits.
The moral quality of any action
lies III the intention; reasoning by
analogy, is u not clearly a.?arent,
even We're It rot mentioned in con-
nectioL with the present clerks, that
the Introduction of such (, question
there about the clerks yetT8 ago
necessarily implies that they thought
the same of these clerks? Otherwise,
that question had no particular bear
ing upon that meeting.
One of the preachers" in his let
ter to the JOURNAL, becomes so
wrathy and highly indignant at the
editor becauss this meeglng vas "in-
formally" noticed, that IT, entire
tone tends rather to amuse than en-
tighten. He says you have mo right
to publish anything about the preach
els, yet we are pleased to note that
the eaitor's ideas of a newspapers
contents are not confined within such
narrow Limits. He accuses the edi-
ter Of .'plaaiag stumbling-blocks be-
twe en tee s&,ssmen and minister's of
OhrMl." We think differently; h.t
if there have been any stumbling
blocks placed in the way the minis
ters Of Christ are the only immediate
caua Of that act. Yet that question
i iH2 significant. The points We wish
to an,agonizo are these This ques-
ton of morality and secularity; this
free rse CT biblical quotations to
fol.'g their position, and, lastly, the
r,lerelee made to Dr. Adam Clarke.
Undoubtedly it is sin for man
to constantly overtax his physical