National Republican., 1881-10-29
A PAINFUL SCANDAL.
Ex-PREsrDENT HAYES INVOLVED.
What the Recent Violation Of the Sabbath in Con.
neotIcut by Dr. Leonard Bacon and
Others Has Led to-A Few
Facts About IL.

The Rev. Leonard w. Bacon, of Con-
nocticut, together with Congressman Wait and
q Mr.. r. B. Hayes, Of Ohio, have recently been
subjected to q great deal of unfair and unpleasant
criticism by the ribald press Of the country. II is
alleged that on Sunday before last DR.. Bacon and
the two other persons above named were guilty Of
violating the So called Sabbath laws Of the State
Of Connecticut by taking pleasure drive on Sun
day afternoon II has even been said that certain
wicked men proposed to cause the arrest Of DR..
Bacon, with the expectation that he would be
fined for his alleged breach oflaw. As to the Il. H..
Hayes who accompanied DR.. Bacon on his Sunday
drive, IL has been widely asserted that he was an
ex-P President of the United States. and that his
conduct was in painful contrast with his refusal
while in Office to travel on Sunday II is time that
the real truth as to the now famous Sunday drive
should be told, and that DIR. Bacon and
Ex-PREsiDEST HAYES SHOULD NE vfNDIcATEp.
Nothngi better established than that DIR. Bacon
Is strongly In favor OF the strict observance of the
Connecticut Sabbath laws" by other people. Not
very long ago he made himself prominent by
efforts to put stop to Sunday steamboat cxcur-
sions from tho town In which he resides He
maintained that II was sin of enormous magn-
tude for people to so on Sunday pleasure cxcur-
sion, and he successfully appealed to the then al
most forgotten "Sabbath laws" TO put n stop to
Sunday steamboat trips. In this undertaking DR..
Bacon was finally successful. Tho excursion boat
was compelled to lie at her wharf during Sunday,
and the wicked people who had been accustomed
to spend Sunday OIL the water werc compelled to
remain at home. This act sufficiently proved that
DIR. Bacon holds the old. fashioned Puritan views
| as to Sunday, and that he looks with the utmost
horror upon
"sABBATH- BREAKING"
when perpetrated by other people When, there
fore, 1t was announced that he had taken pleas.
ure drive on Sunday his former admirers were
greatly shocked as indeed they had n right to be.
2or IL br. Bacon takes pleasure rivos on Sunday
IL proves one OF two thingselther he Is willing TO
| commit n deliberate sin or ho was not sincere
when he told the steamboat propriotors that SAB
| bath breaking" was sinful. Fortunately we have
a true explanation of his so-oallod pleasure ride
which completely vindicates him.
| DIR. BACos's CHILD,
or at least some other child was sick on the Sun
| day In question, and as a work of necessity and
mercy he took the child for drive that 1t could
breathe the fresh air. His conduct was materially
| different from that OF u mother who, having nc
carriage OF her own, should take her sick child on
| board Sunday excursion steamboat In order "a
| give It fresh air. The difference Is the difference
| between land and water. DIR. Bacon doubtless be.
lieves that II is wrong for any other person "a
| take a sick child oh the water ON Sunday, but he
| holds that II is perfectly right for him to take
sick child for n drive on Sunday Onlya perversg
and uncharitable man could find anything incon.
sistent In the Doctors creed or conduct. But II
| VIII be asked, were Congressman Wait
AND THE MIR. n. H. HAYES
who took part In the drive also sick children, o.
| were they each IN charge of private sick child
II is not alleged that they were. They accom-
panied Dr. Bacon In his errand of necessity ant
| mercy because they wanted TO see the country. II
fact they went with him for amusement /
Is useless to deny that these two men broke th,
the law forbidding persons to drive for pleasure
Sunday, and, so far as is known they have not at
tempted to make any defense. Still, IL is dificul
to sec how DIR. Bacon was In any way responsible
for the wrong doing of these mon. He did no
force them to get into his carriage and he did no
compel them
TO ENJOY THEMSELVES.
| In view OF the known character of Dr. Bacon, 1
Is very probable that he endenvored, rs far n
possible, TO make the pleasure excursion of his tw
companions as gloomy and unineresting as posi-
be and 1t is even conceivable that with this yiey
he repeated 10 them the whole of one OF his ser
mons In denunciation of "Sabbath breaking.
or course there Is no use In arguing with thos
wrong headed people who pretend that lift is si
for steamboat captain to allow people to traye
ON his boat on Sunday II was sin for DIR. Bncol
to allow Hayes and Walt to drive In his carriag
on Sunday. People who cannotsee the difference
between pleasure excursion on board boat an'
| pleasure excursion In q carriage cannot eXpec
that reasonable men will waste time In trying 4
enlighten them.
| THE FACT THAT THE II. u. HAYES
who accompanied Dr. Bacon on his Sunday driv
was q Sabbath breaker" shows ut once that tn
man was not that other and noble man who unit
recently occupied the White House. President j
| b. Hayes was as warm n friend of Sabbath law
as he was of temperance, and refused to travel o
Sunday as stoutly as he refused 10 allow his guest
TO drink anything but water ut his table. To sup
| pose that so good man would be guilty of driy
Ing about Connecticut town on Sunday to anus
himself and to see the objects Of interest" is pre-
| posterous
THE GOOD r. II. HAYES
is probably tho best man who ever lived, ant
without doubt he would rather lose a sum q
money than do wrong act; Moreover, the II, !
Hayes who drove with Dr. Bacon on Sunday mad
himself liable to n fine, aud If any one believe
that ex- President r. B. Hayes would place him
of the ex- Presidents character. Let MS hope tina
no more will be said of Dr. Bacons Sunday ride
Above all let us hope that no wicked steamboa
excursionist will cause his arrest. The sinful II
b. Hayes has already left the State, and so is SAT
from arrest, and no one would dream of arrestin
Congressman for mere sabbath breaking
Good men ought TO stouty refuse to pay an
further attention, to the scandal, and bad mel
Bacon and steamboat captain, and between Ian,
and water. aud between good ex-Prcsident AM
u reckless person bearing the same name
| ---S----