Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-22
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
OPEN LETTER TO THOSE WHO USE
SUNDAY FOR A GALA DAY.

The following communication has been
furnished for publication
We address this open letter to those of our
fellow.citizeDs who indulge in professions and
parades for pleasure in our cities and towns
on the Christian Sabbath. We do not wish
to impose on you our religious convictions
concerning the sacredness of that day, nor
reprosch you for not accepting them. We
fully concsde your right before the law and
every human tribunal to hold suca private
views on this point as you choose. But we
feel that il is right that we, as representatives
of the Christian community, should tell ysu
frankly how they feel about the public prsc-
tees In question. We assure you that they
feel troubled aud grieyed. Your professions
and parades, with bands of music and other
noisy demonstrations, interfere with their en-
joyment and use of the day, which to them
is sacred. You parade in the streets march
through the most conspicuous and populous
thorous hfsres, sometimes near the houses of
worship, interfering with the devotions Of
those within /; the disturbance breaks into the
holy quiet of their domestic sitars, and
throws over the city the atmosphere ana spell
of a gala day. You may not think of it
but is this kind and considerable to the feel.
ings of your Christian brothers Of the Re.
publics Ii you wish to spend the day in
sports, would it not be courteous to them to
go out quietly into the country, and Ell gage
in them 90 as not to disturb others.
We might, however, endure the disturbance
and ssy nothing to you about it, If the effect
was confined to our feelings and there were
no public harm. But it arrests the moral
training of the community and is democrat
izinR. 10 this country, you very well know,
public virtue is largely secured by moral in.
haences that are brought to bear on the pso-
pie on the Sabbath. That il the day for the
best home training, in spch homes as make
that an object; and the only day when.
children and adults are regularly a.
sembled for the purpose of being nodded in
the very foundations Of character, in prscti-
cal righteousness and goodness. That is the
day when many are labosjng, with much self
sacrifice and embarrassment, to stimulats our
youth and citizens to adopt principles Of TO-
tegrity, sslf.respecs and a noble manhood
Their aim. on the human side, is to secure
people worthy of trust, in whose keeping
rights shall be safe, and IN whose hands the
interests of society and the republic shall be
securely lodged. In the countries from which
you introduce the custom of making Sunday
q sporting and gala day, it makes less differ
ence, SO far as public order aud outward NOR
ais are concerned, whether individual efforts
and church efforts are made to educate the
people up to civic and social virtue, or not
espionage aud power of centralized Govern
ment, separate from the people, secures the
protection Of society, however it may go with
the private morals OF individuals. But here
every thing depends on the personal virtue of
the people, and unless individuals and church.
es volunteer to secure that, there is no guar
snty Of future social and civil quiet and
prosperity. Apart from the private moral
worth of the citizens, republic rests on q
volcano.
We submit that you have as much right to
be interested in the success of these efforts to
make good and trustworthy citizens as we
have. But the practices of which we speak
drsS. of many, especially the young, from
all Tie influences calculated to make good
and safe citizens on the only day of the week
when they can be brought to act on them.
1t was noticeable, fer example. on last Sab
bath&that the air of the city was full of wild
ness. And it was remarked by citizens that
they had not seen for long time SO many
young men and boys intoxicated as on the |
evening of that day We do not hold you |
responsible for all this dissipation and de- |
moralization, by any mesns, but we could |
wish that you might not furnish any occasion |
for its outburst.
You coma here, or are born here in this
land of freedom and rich opportunities. We
give you cordial welcome, and take you to
cur sides, in perfect equality, in the full en-
joyment Of our rich civil heritage. 1t has
made itself attractive to you, and what it is
civilly, by influences that center around the |
Christian Sabbath, aad rsdiate from it. We, |
and those with US, are working in line of |
its historical life and growth for its preserva-
ton. We wish you the possession of every
right in this fair republic. We could also |
wish you might share with us in the duties of |
lsboring for the moral training of the young
and the people generally. and SO of the pres
ervstion and welfsfe of our civil system.
But if this may not be, is it too much to ask
you not, openly and publicly, with formal
parades and professions, in the midst of the
tender ongoings of these invaluable influences
to counteract the efforts of those trying to