The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-30

| lose auu Incorporation, and not neces. |
sArlly ior religious worship. Can any
one now mold that it weuld be just to |
prohibit amusements on that dav of rest
and recuperation7 viii YOU prohibit
| those people who have no religion and
those whose religion advises another
uay Tor religious worship, from enjoying
themselves on that day which the gov
ernhent eompsls them TO keep as a dav
OF restY Moreover, in order to carry ont
the spirit OF its own law, the government
must permit certain occupations on the
ilrst day OF the week. 1t must permit
cars' trains, carriages and wagons to
! hoF9i u must permit printing, tele-
graphing and telephOning; il must per-
| inlt tho production of food, gas and
| electric-light; it must permit the labor
OF the pharmacist, Il" physician, and
sven tho minister. We go one step
lnrther' In order to perfect the spirit or
the law ordering day OF rest and recra.
alton, IL must permit places OF amuse-
menti especially theatres snd operas To
continue on Sunday 40 well G9 any other |
day OF the week. Nay, we 20 one steb
further and say that if such places oil
amusement did not exist, Il there were
ny enteTprislng people enough 10 sup
ply the demand, it wOu be the duty OF |
inc government 10 establish and man |
age such places Of amusement for the
accommodation OF the Sunday patron |
age. the government ordain5 a dav OF
rest and recreation that tho weary
laDorer may recuperate, that tho nation
may begin again Il week Of activity with
renewed strength, and, therefore, 10
must afford the people, those means,
namely amusements, by which they
can obtain that much needed re-
cHperation. We 20 still further and hold
that Tie very churches which arc now
initiating against the Sunday theatre
are themselves only tolerated on the
first day Of tho week under aliberal CON
structi0n OF the law. The law, strictly
construed, would forbid the ianitOr to
open the church, the choir 10 sing, the
minister to preach, and the aristoerat 70
ride TO church. 1t is, however, tacitly
understood that the church affords for
some people rest and recreation, and
chat place is therefore tolerated on the
national day Of rest for the s4mo reason
that places of amusement are. 10 is,
ther fore, 10 say the least, very unkmd
on the part Of churches to Uilitdte
against theatres, when these are con-
tent to take neutral position.
With the same right That some Chrig-
tians clamOr TO have theatres and places
Of amusement closed on Suud v nights.
lsraelites could do 80 70 have them
closed on Friday night For lust Us
some Christians prefer tbs theatre IT,
church en- Sunday n'gDt, so gOme lsra8l-
lles prefer the theatre 90 the svuugOgue
ON Friday night, Should lsraolites now
ask that tue theatres bl closed by law
ON Friday night, what dust would be
raised! What epithets O, conformation,
| what Qnathemas would descend GA tha
head OF the unoiieuding dew, who m
this case merely asks iur equal rights
with his Christian brltheI But we do
not ask IL, ard mover viii. Whom were.
rain from making such adeuHud, hpw
ever, we dc 80 not uut OF i1Br of pr-ju-
| dice or refusal, but b clu.s We hold
! firstly, that it would b1 unjust, a4
| already shown, tu grau sugh request
| 10 any Que. and secondly, that &C. woul "a
| not remedy the evil which 10 is intended
! 70 remove.
Are you sure ihat closing the theatre
will drive people int the churches2
No more than tnSt prohibition will pre-
vent people irDm dHuki1g and batug
Incorporate. lttha tustLros would u8
closed on Sunday and Friday nights, DC
would nOG AID the churches ina h.,
II any. Those who Go not desire to
attend church. viii seek the ways OF
! passing the time, viii seek other field ut
] pleasure. Hnoy wilicrrtdiuiy moi te Gl-
! trgc ed GO tho churches who 20. Il ass
/ their enemies, and whom tuny must
thank for beiu- uUprivet of their usu n
| HmusCmcnt9, Ihg remedy which shall
increase tho attendance BL divine S3f-
vice by gaining the attendance ct those
vino now seek tho tuuair1 and orhOr
| places OF amusement must be sought
I for I'm another direction, since lh0 cause
ut the evil lies elsewhere. We pr.,
therefore, not opposed 10 tho tres EIi-
day, Saturday, Sunday, Or any other
day. We, therefore, desire No Frda, ,
Saturday or SUNDAY religious law. Our
grievances are, therefore, directed not
against theatres or legislators, who are
liberal enough 10 see the public welfare
beyond The church management, but
against the people who prefer tho play
10 divine services who prefer comedy
or tragedy on the holy sabbath To an
impressive service and appropriate ser
mon. We have known aud know poo
pie who prefer 10 SEQ tho play 10
attending divine service, merely TO
show their disregard for the church or
synagogue and is officers, They are
religious people aud would like 20 At
tenu divine service, were 10 not for tue
grudge they bear the church admins
TotiOr, Wero thoy not diSplC0sod with
either president or minister choir or
soXton. Eos, some can nos bear che
ianitur, and therefore ROMAN away
from church. Others nave taken uW-
bragg 40 the ushers who only did their
duty in bidding them keep silence dur.
ing divine service. Some do not like
the scat that WAS assigned, and others
do not fancy the occupants ut the pew
behind, in front, 20 tho right or lett
such are som OF tho reasons given by
intelligent % people for not attending
service. These are church people VINO,
! Friday or Sunday night, according az
they are Jews or Christians, wend their
way TO tire theatre or other places of
often outsp0ken excuse thut
they must 70 somewhere aud
to church they just can't 20. Then
there IS another GLASS who prefer thu
! theatre To the ChurCu because they pre-
I i0e anything and everything 20 attend
lug divine service, They prOlor calling
with its gossip aud tHa, card playing
with is oxritemenL dancing with is
! passionate iIiuigencos, music aud wine
with tho uisp0lling OF Osrcs, ANY thug,
In iact, that is exciting aud hlitrOus 90
/ the subriCtN and OarnV-tuOss thtt Ia re-
/ QnIod for divine service, uolWtthgtapd-
| iug that such q service brings rost 10 tho
troubled soul, tranquility to the mind,
fauh, hope aud consolation, Lastly,
th0re Is dnOthDr class who show them.
/ selves IN tho tlagatru during the nours at
| divine service in urdUr 70 appear lin.
! eral aud tree, iH,Ofdtr To appear In fash.
ion, IN order CO ape those VINO bliug
Aotheists 10 thDr rs they would at any
other time.
These ara some If tho causes that OF.
| orato 10 crowd The ihcaters aud daplete
the chulc Giles, and the causes rufurmora
should seek 10 remedy. Instead OF
! preachiAs against SuY al eyed imuiOrI-
destCrat'ou OF the SAOba.h by actors
who thus work ON tue first day of the
week, ngaiI NJ any imRlted seliishness
of manager, in that "ihey do not care
lunythlng atIll for the uvoru welfare of
the people, byt only want more dnllars,h
mngters shuWd talk plRtQly to those at
THAR uppk Wan mafo AZ "A nninl Ia