Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-06-22

In Massachusetts, there has taken
place recently singular outbreak of
that spirit which, it had been supposed
currently, was buried with the perse-
cutors Of Roger Williams and the tor
turers Of witches and others void Of
oaense. A like proceeding would not
have been thought singular in that re-
gion during the earlier days Of its his
tory, but in the full light of the times
we live in IL Is remarkable. For several
weeks the Housatonic Railroad Com.
pany, tho line Of which extends from
Bridgeport, in Connecticut, to PittsIield,
in Massachusetts,, had been running
Sunday trains over the entire distance.
These trains were appreciated generally
by tho public, as in this way the Sunday
morning papers Of New York were re.
ceived at the earliest possible moment,
great deal of necessary travel was
accommodated, and in many other ways
tht iutcitStS VI u ciNiilcu cOmhhuhitf
were subserved. This service, how
ever. was not ace ceptable to the clergy
Of several Of the villages lying along
--.he road between the State line and
PittsfeId. Accordingly they united, re-
monstrated, and, finding this of no avail,
sent in petition to the company, to
which the directors of that corpora
tion, servant OF the general public,
did not consider ii necessary to accede.
The Sunday trains continued to run
as usual; in Lompoc-like way, ON the
second Sunday of this month, the civil
authorities Of some part of Berkshire
county, instigated by the ecclesiastical
power, and armed with the authority
Of some ancient law, which had re.
NAMED forgotten on the statute book
just as until recently there existed in
England q law allowing a man to put
halter around the neck of his wife,
and to sell her In the market-place,
stopped the train on the southern from.
tier of the State. OF course the Housa.
tonic Railroad Company will not submit
to any such outrageous proceeding, but
we arc not informed concerning their
action in the premises A very extraor.
dinary feature of the affair is that,
although persons are not allowed to ride
ncrthward on passenger train, they are
still permitted, as they have been always,
to ride northward on milk train. Yet
this apparent Inconsistency may be ex.
planned when we reflect that. though a
man may not travel on Sunday whith-
or his duty to a dying member of his
family, the welfare of himself and it,
merely his pleasure, If you will, call
him, il is of absolute necessity that the
thrifty dairyman of the pleasant Berk.
shire Hills be not deprived of the profits
Of one day in seven. Herein we recog
nize the emincntly practical religion oi
your average New Englander. W.
might digress here, and inquire which ol
the two be the more essential to the
morning comfort of the American citi
zen, fresh milk or his daily paper, but
we forbear. Heretofore the clergy o.
Berkshire has not evinced to notable
extent peculiarly assinine characteristics
but, collectively and individually, i
must be aware that it were as easy tt
step the movement of the universe as to
prevent railway trains from running
on Sunday wherever there are rails fol
them to run on. These doughty gentle
men of Berkshire will find themselves il
the position of Stephensons historic
''coo," and, the sooner they do fint
themselves there, the better for th,
progress of mankind materially and spir
itually