Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-25

on FRIDAY the Committee on the State
Of the Church. Of the Methodist Confer
ence at Philadelphia. adopted = reSolu-
tion coudemning SUNDAY newspapers,
Sunday railroad trains and various other
things. The adoption al this resolution
directs attention to the wonderful change
that has taken place with reference to the
observance of sunday in the last half cen
fury. To attempt to enforce the sunday
laws which were in force My years ago
would he a. impracticsble ana impossible
ss 70 attempt 70 carry On the business Of
the wtrld without newspapers and with
OUT railways ana steamboats,. sunday
newspapers and sunday trains are a ne
ceSsity. Il Is probable that there is not
one minister Of the gospel out Of ten who
does not read the sunday newspapers,
and il ) certain that church-SoinS people
1ead the newspapers on sunday more
thoroughly than on any other day Of the
week. because they have more time.
Neither the ministers nor their congrega-
tions could very well give uptheir sunday
newspapers, because they could not
afford 20 he ignorant Of what had taken
place IN The great world on the previous
day. Without their Sunday newspapers
the events Of Saturdays would be IN
known 10 them. Itcould hardly be expect
ed that If there were a panic in Wall
street. a great battle in some part Of the
world. important legislation in Congress.
2 steamship disaster. or railroad colIi-
sion on Saturday, that the people would
wait for the news until Monday. The
world wants the earliest and most relia-
ole intelligence Of au important events.
over one day for il when
il can oe obtained at once. It would be
interesting to know how many Of the
members Of the committee which adopted
the anti-Sundav newspaper resolution do
not read the sunday newspapers, and
how many Of them would consent to give
up their newspapers on sunday. The
sunday papers are now much better than
those Of any other day IN the week. and
they are more generally read. Thousands
Of people buy and read them on that day
who DO not have time to read them on any
other day. The working people who
begin their tasks early in the morning
and continue at them until night depend
almost wholly on the sunday papers to
keep themselves informed Of what is
going on in the world. sunday news
papers are an established institution. and
the ministers know or ought to
know that they cannot be suppressed by
church conference resolutions or by any
other means. There may be objection
able features in some of the Sunday news
papers, and ministers might do some good
by using their influence TO raise the stan
dards Of such papers. There is much 10
be said for and against the practice ui
running railway trains and steamboats,
on sundays. The practice, however, Is
50 firmly established that it is not pos
sible to break it up. The demands OF com
merce are such now that it would be
as impracticable to stop trains from
running on Sunday as it would be
TO compel steamships to stop their engines
in mid.0cean, or sailing vessel TO lower
her sails on that day. Without sunday
trains and steamboats,, hundreds Of th0us-
ands Of working people in the great cities
/ would never get a glimpse Of green fields
or the sea. 1t is doubtful If the ministers
who enjoy the breezes Of Ocean Grove.
Asbury Park and other seaside resorts Of
church-g0ing people would say that il
would be better for the toilers never to
| see the country or the ocean than to pa
| rOnize Sunday steamers and trains. The
duty OF ministers is in the direction Of
making the things Of which they complain
I instruments Of good. and not Of suppress
ing them.