Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-14

-ASS AluA oLltS - 49,
The ransomed hosts shall shout and sing:
''Our Savior went befOre!"
Margaret e. %Sdngster, in american Messenger.
OUR DAY OF REST.
The Sabbath was Gods gift to man
for all ages. The Divine order was,
that man should have one day of rest
for every six of work. All the best
civilization of the world is based upon
that idea, which has been wrought into
the laws, industries and social life of all
Christian nations. We have inherited
from our fathers this sacred institution
as one of our dearest rights, as well as
our most sacred privileges. Our faith
ers, coming as they did from the tyran-
MES and oppression Of the old world,
were wise enough to guard "Our Day
of Rest with the solemn sanctions of
law, as we'll as the lighter securities of
custom and social life. But it appears
in our day that we have large and pow
erful classes of men, who, either from
selfshness and greed, OF recklessness OF
other mems rights, demand that the
sanctions of the law which gives a day
of rest to %workingmen shall be re-
moved. In other words, some men
want the larger class Of men to work
every day. The day of rest is to be
abolished, and all days of toll to be
alike, without respite or relief, if these
views prevail. Men are to bear the strain
constantly. Fatigued bodies and tired
minds are to be worked to the utmost
|. all the time, unless prohibited by law.
| One trade and business after another
o-a.onoLoo ,o~ o.,I ,,,,or fho
Sabbath, until they gain a day and en-
| slave the w%orkingman. Less and less
become the poor mans rights, and few
er his opportunities for rest and recrea-
ton. Less and less he sees of wife and
children, and more he must toll for
their support, with but little of the COM
fort and Joy of their society. The rich
grow richer and the poor poorer both
in family, body andmind. Already the
din of traffic and hustle Of business roar
on the Sabbath but little less than on all
days.
More and more trades and factories
so enlarge their business and the de-
mands Of greedy monopolizing enter
prise that they demand seven days
work per week.
Consider the trades and enterprises,
public and private, that have no Sab
bath. Railroads, employing every class
of labor, common and skilled; city
horse-railroads, omnibus-lines, ferries,
iron-furnaces, foundries, all large fur
mace works, hotels, boarding-houses,
BARRIERS, butchers. grocers, druggists,
confectioners, cigar stores, liquor deal
ers, newspaper publishers and vendors,
the police. insurance watchmen, stable
men. coach-drivers, milkmen, and many
others, are obliged, in the competition
or demands of their business as now
conducted, to work all day or part of
the day on the Sabbath. Very few,
and growing less, are the industries or
employments that completely respect
to rest.
This very serious and dangerous ten
uency is not a matter of fanatical alarm
or mere sentimental discussion. 1t is a
question Of life and health to our over
worked people. Nowhere in the world
do men work as hard with body and
mind as in u country. Nowhere in
the world is rest so needed-complete
and absolute rest for all men.
Herbert Spencer well said that what
we need most is rest. Rush. struggle,
competition, hurry, are the dangers of
our Industrial and business life.
To get rich, and rapidly, destroys the
capitalist very often, and impels him to
disregard his employees rights and drive
him mor and more. The individual
workman grows less, and more, he be-
comes merely an attendant Of a ma
chine. Less does he see the results of
his own hands work, less does he feel
that he has q soul, less does his employ
er realize that his man is filter than his
machine.
The soul of the workman has as much
right to grow and reachits Divine birth
right as his body, and more, because it
has grander, higher needs than his
body.
1t must be remembered, too, that the
more every industry encroaches upon
the Sabbath, the more it draws into the
vortex other incidental work. Think
how many classes of work one railroad
compels, by merely deciding to run
trains on the Seventh day. There is
no break in the monotony of its whole
work; engineers, depot hands, train
and road men of all kinds must be at
thelr posts along the whole line.
And thus to some extent every in
dustry which does not pause one day in
seven enslaves and even degrades it's
workers. Workingmen, this will not
do. This evil must be stopped. The
day OF rest is yours. Don't let men in
Brooklyn business, OF in Albany legis-
lation, or National law, or EUROPEAN
customs, rob you OF God'sday and your
day, in n dreadful scheme. Ii men
tell you that all days are alike, tell them
that they are not alike to you. One dav
God has given to you, and your rever-
ence and gratitude for this Gift makes
you glad to give thanks and worship to
Him. The holy quiet and complete
rest of the Sabbath are yours, and part
of your liberty. Beware Of those who
teach or claim that all days are theirs,
and YOU are theirs. Sabbath deSocra,