The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-07

sebI6T Vi 1TGSlutuG DtHDelI IL IOuLEi VI
the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago rail-
way, published in the Railway Age and re-
produced in the Journal on Wednesday, can
but have good effect. His departure in
the matter of reducing Sunday work to a
minimum provoked widespread comment
and there were not wanting many who pre-
The report was subsequently circulated that
the experiment had been abandoned as a
failure, and 1T was in answer to this misstate-
ment that Mr. Young wrote the letter above
referred to- So far from hav-
ing given over the plan of
cutting down Sunday railway service
to the lowest degree, or finding it financial
failure, this prominent railway official an
nounces his conviction that he is right both
in theory and practice, as a conscientious
Christian, DESTROYS of honoring the divine as
places his objection to Sunday work primari-
ly on moral grounds. He holds, and rightly
that to bring divine laws into neglect or con-
tempt is only to weaken respect for the laws
of State. No man who sincerely regards the
moral law will lightly despise the statutes
formulated for The government of society.
And, reversing the proposition, no man who
is taught to scorn sacred things will willing
ly accede to the requirements of statutes
written by men. ~
But while basing his objections to unnec-
essary Sunday work on Scriptural grounds,
Mr.. Young is willing to take stand on
reasons Of more material character He
claims, and his experiment has thus far sus-
tanned him, that unrestricted Sunday labor
does not pay. The effect upon employees is
to render them disconnected and unmindful
of the duties that are placed upon them,
seven they lose interest in what they are
about, and the corporations interests suffer
from neglect. The greatly improved appli:
ances of modern times render continuous
labor wholly unnecessary. The mechanic
OF to-day, aided by improved tools and ma
chinery, does the work of from two to
five men fifty years ago. A bust
ness trip of thirty days to the
seaboard of a former generation is now ac-
complished in as many hours. There are,
therefore, twenty-four timesas many reasons
now for abstaining from labor on Sunday,
there being that much less need. The same is
true in all the vocations of life. Mankind
is too selfish; is not content to take ease as
inventive genius permits, but with increased
facilities for securing Livelihood his wants
increase in direct ratio and the hours of labor
are not shortened The farmer who drives
work of ten men of the sickle and cradle
days, seems to work as early and late as men
did then. The greed of gain is largely re-
sponsible for this, and at the bottom of Sun
day work of all kinds may be found the
same spirit.
Mr.. Young is correct in saying that any
manifestation on the part of railway man.
ayers of contempt for sacred and secular
law is sure to beget like contempt in the
minds of employees. No man or corporation
that on Sunday sits in cushioned seat in a
sanctuary has the moral right to issue or
ders that will send other and less wealthy
men to the accomplishment of unnecessary
work on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was
made for the poor man as we'll as for the
rich. 1t is an heirloom handed down to all
mankind. There are some works that of
necessity must be attended to on the
call for the movement of a few
trains. When produce OF any
kind would spoil if not promptly shipped, it
will be generally conceded that it should be
sent even on Sunday. Some apology may be
made, too, for the running of certain passen-
ger trains, though the number should be re-
stricted to the smallest mum Der possible, with
the express understanding that all trains
that are run are so run only because of suf-
ficient reason to satisfy both divine and tenn
poral law. II
A wholesome respect for law must lie
at the foundation of all government, for
without such respect, no law could pos
sibly be enforced. No official of any kind
has the right to abrogate law. The people
are equal before it, and no railway magnate
or municipal official can assume to sus-
pend the operations of law. The police COM
nissioners of this city presumed to do as
much regarding the statute forbidding the
sale Of intoxicants on the fourth OF July
and congratulate themselves that no harm
came of it. There happened to be no blood
shed aud but little drunkenness on that day;