The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-30
ACTON AND SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

ACTON AND SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.
A communication upon the Acton camp
meeting question, printed elsewhere, is scarcely
worth attention, inasmuch as the author is
all surprising, and goes to show that his discre-
ton is very much better than either his judg-
ment or temper. We hope it will have a wide
reading, in order that sensible people may see
the effect a steady attendance upon the Acton
camp meeting has had upon one who may be
accepted as an average man, perhaps. But a
word or two may not be out of the way, be-
cause of the miserable pettifogging and special
pleading in which the writer INDUCES. He
says no proposition from the railroad company
to discontinue Sunday trains was before the
meeting, but DIR. Levi Ritter is reported to
have stated distinctly that such a proposition
was made by officers of the railway to him.
Yet, even were this so, the vote Of the tent
holders upon DR.. Gilletts resolution was
square and fair. They had the question
AONShN NALN0bL1 w INV SSAAA' "
that resolution, and a majority of the mem
bers deliberately and purposely voted against
the discontinuance of the Sunday trains.
They knew what they were voting for; the
lines were strongly drawn, and it is too late to
hunt for a side issue upon which to ease
their consciences. The talk of shutting up
the camp-ground gates as closing people out
of religious services is pure and unadulterated
twaddle, and known to be such by those who
indulge in it. The Acton camp meeting is
not maintained or managed as a soul-saving
institution. Whatever may have been the
fact in other years, the meeting is not now
conducted with that as the principal or a very
conspicuous object. 1t is a place of religious
recreation, and that is all there is of it. 1t is
neither a necessity nor a convenience to a
population which otherwise would be de
prived of gospel privileges. Our correspondent
feels greatly disturbed because this particular
camp meeting association has been placed upon
a par with the base ball associations, schuetz-
ell parks, ETC., in the discussion Of the
Sunday "desecration" question. We agree
that this is an outrage. We do not think
fessed Christians deliberately determine to vi
olate the s%anctity of the Sabbath against the
law of their religion, set at defiance the au-
thority of their church, and at the same time
invite and participate in a transgressiOn of
the civil law, we think their turpitude much
greater than that of an association which
makes no p%retense of caring q fig for Sunday,
and which does not regard it as a day to be OBJ
served differently from any other day during
the week. There are not many sane people,
we fancy, who do not share in this opinion.
But there is no call for argument; the ques-
ton is a very plain one. The Acton Camp
meeting Association is a Methodist institu-
ton; it is under Methodist auspices, Differed
by Methodists, and preached to by Methodists.
The Methodist Church, by all it's authorized
representatives in conferences, general
and annual, has said that camp meetings, if
held at all, should be held with closed gates
on Sunday, and. if they we're not so held,
Methodists should withhold their influence
and presence from them. This position has
been affirmed by every church but one in the
Southeast Conference located in indianapolis,
and by a unanimous vote Of the Methodist
Preachers Association of the city, represent
ing the Indiana Conference as well. There is
but one thing for the Acton Association to do,
and that is to comply with the law and order
of the church. If it shall not do this, the
church must relieve itself from any response
bility for it. The interest moral and religious
people have in this matter, and the interest
the Journal has in it, is, that so long as an al
legged religious association openly and deliber-
ately votes in favor of Sunday Dissertation"
and invites violation of the civil law in its
most open and demoralizing phase, there is but
little chance for enforcing a better observance
of the day upon the general public, which has
no religious motive to strengthen a regard
for the secular statute.
THE Democratic House is evidently sadly
-l::.L.- I'D H. Ill - 49,.