New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-27
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
DISCUSSING SUNDAY LAWS.
LARGE MEETING AT THE COOPER UNION.


to the Sunday laws as set down in tho
new Penal Code. The meeting called by a
committee appointed at meeting of ministers
regardless of denomination but 1t was in sense
religious meeting The chairman was lawyer, the
two principal speakers were judges and the third
was business man. The only clergyman who
took part in the proceedings was tho
Rev. DR.. Howard Crosby, who simply
stated the purpose of the meeting and introduced
Charles Tracy, who presided. Before the hour adj
yertised for the meeting arrived there stamp
ing in various parts of tho hall resembling the
sounds sometimes heard in n college classroom.
In conspicuous place sat q man wearing
flannel shirt and gold-OOwed spectacles
who smilingly informed the reporters that " there
would be music by and by" When told that the
speakers would doubtless command the attention of
the audience, which at that time contained many
ladies and many prominent gentlemen, he rubbed
his hands and said You don't know what kind
of people are here tonight" An intimation
that policemen would protect the speakers only
elected the sneering remark " This hall is filed
with workingmen. who will defend their rights"
The Rev. Dr. Crosby and the following gentlemen
occupied seats on the platform Chief-Jushcs Noah
Davis, Judge Enoch l.. Fancher, Charles Tracy, the
Rev Dr. 5. Ireneus Prime, s. II. Provost, eX-Con-
gresham Benjamin A. Willis. the Rev. DR.. Ben
iamin n Martin, the Rev. Dr.. WoTall, Professor d.
s. Martin, David Hayes president of the Sunday
Closing League; the Rev. DIR. Robert Il. Hall and tho
Rev. DR.. SteeIes. Among the prominent m'n in tho
audience were President Barnard, of Columbia Col
lege; the Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix, ID. Wills James,
James Talcott, the Rev. DR.. George l.. Shearer, the
Rev David Gregg. the Rev. DR.. James VI. klngi
Charles l.. Tiffany. ID. S. Riddle, the Rev.
DIR. L. II. Marling, Commissioner Thomas
;. Brennan, o. b. Bradford, the Rev. DR.. ID. T. Kids
der the Rev. DR.. 6. f. Strobrdge. the Rev. Or.
Chambers of Harrisburg; the Rev. Mr. North, ina
Rev. DIR. Draper w. f. Dlllegar N. W. Doddl
Charles ID. Kellogg, Joseph j. ODonohue ana
William .. Bourne.
In introducing Mr.. Tracy, Dr. Crosby said
FELLOW CITIZENS: The Sunday law has come to the
maRes any breach of it a misdemeanOr. The
Public are in doubt o. The'hSG me S bue ioW and
ought therefore to be repealed or whether TN Ell Is n T
for that reason should be maintained 1t has been
thought advisable TO ask certain gentlemen known ZOE
am happy to say Gat we have VITA Judge Noah
Davis, Judge Fancher and Charles Tracy the latt9f
having kindly consented TO preside at tins meeting
When Mr.. Tracy rose be was greeted with ap-
! plause and few hisses The half dozen policemen
| in the hail looked about the room 10 find those
| guilty of this disrespect, but the hi;sing was not
| repeated. Mr.. Tracy said in sub5tauce:
! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: This is time in which
the duties and rights OF men recording the keepng o,
dc dc moTs ops in H six days than in seven THAT
was fully proven when the emgant wagons crossed ths
plains quarter Of century ago Ihe man VINO resteo
! lis oxen over Sunday passed hs goddess compani0as
Who violated the law OF God and Nature. Applause ana
hsses this occasion the friends OF the sabbath nave
learned in the law to state the'r op3ns ~ g neJT M
Provost the secretary OF the Sunday Closing League
! Applause aud mauy hlssesI
Mr. Provost began to state the causes which led TO
the formation of the Sunday Closing League ana sslu
that he had visited many gOcers and other Duslness
men VINO were & ,d 90 desire on
the part of many TO close their stores II only tne GUS
tom made general. lie was interrupted 6y an
souch hat, and dressed in n wOrkmans
suit who asked hlm WAS not your Work
| Sunday wOrkp His question vas greeted with
applause from those paris OF the hail where the
! kissing had been heard but there were no signs or
dlsapproval except from two OF thlSe pSllceiInen,
who had gone to the hall wl'h the determna-
tion OF breaking up the ifn meeting, rose
that moment Captain McCullagh with the reserves
from his precinct entered the room ana the rights"
| were waIved. There were fifty policemen IN and
around tne hal and Mr. Provost, although ne had on
sunday caused the Ofseveral men found volat-
ing the law, was allowed proceed without inrther
| postal card received by President Huyler, in winch
| the writer, clerk, spoke OF many w0rkinghca
wnO were little better than wllte slaves" ~
After Mr.. Provost had taken his seat, Mr.. Tracy
! Introduced Chet-Just Davis who lald copy or
the new Penal Code Oh the stand but did not read
ag aS, the sentiments Of the present sunday law
recognized as common Law. He lrd not spoken
two minutes when, IN making retSence 20 the dl-
vine institution OF the sabbath DerSon Ia tile au-
dlenco up his hands and shouted: There's
| no God" " Tnems my sentiments" sad anOther
man rising IN an opposite tai eorHer Isa wneae l,a,
| his face That's me " was heard from the centre
of the room, and for moment 1t seemed as II the
thorty. The ladies in the audience sat quietly as
the fifty Socialists and started to leave tho
hall. policeman for each socialist escorted Linen tme IN
| TO the outside door, but at tle reqeuse
of Mr.. Provost, Captain McCullagh made no ar
rests. A singular feature of the eXoaus" was that
aS his followers were leaving The meeting they had
come to break up, Jusus Schwab entered the room.
and sat quleIy listening TO the address, appar-
entIv as interested as any one in the room. sany
times dnrine his address, Justice DAVIS was heartily
applauded lie spoke Tor nearly an nOur wlth0uJ
notes, and his address IN substance as follows:
have given the subject which am asked 10 speak
to night thougt bur the press Oh otnef dutie nas
prevented M from preparing an address. | shall.
go on am asked to speak on tue sabbath as civil
Institution, but before dong so Will say
tnat strikes t ' God out of the SABBATH Applause
and hsses l believe that tue 5abbttn is o7daned by
Bath as evil day ordained for It's SeSeca effects on
the age in which we live You can think OF no institI-
ton old the sabbath, Fhe jewish sabbath goes
The Christian Sabbath, we nnd that 1t
oates BACK TO ony snor rcnaon uno M wa. after
second century tnat Christian sabbath was
tsbshed and We hnd that was adopted into the laws
promulgated by first man who called himself King
OF the English. Applausel IL was made part OF the
common law by William tue COnquet0r. and embodied
in the common law introduced into New York,
wnen the then colony of New Amsterdam was conquered
by The English.
But it not by conquest that the Christian
Sabbath first became part OF the law OF NewlOrk,
for tue Ducn settlers conscientious observers OF II,
aud in The Penal Code you wiiI Mud the same laws. Ia
some eases IN the Language, that were IN force In
regard to the observance O the sabbath then T1e
Revolution found the sunday law part OF the common
law OF this When the STATE aiter the Revolution,
aiopsed q all the common law and statute
law En- glaud except such cOnoted with statutes
passed by colony and such as related To an estab
| lxuR
And SO In these early times tho
Sthbath adoped and preserved Constitution of