Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-13
FOR A NATIONAL SABBATH.
The Hearing on the Senate Side Of the
Capitol To-day.

The Hearing on the Senate Side Of the
Capitol To-day.
AIounHNTs FOR AND AGAINST TIE PASSAGE OF
SENATOR BLA1's SUNDAY OBSERVANCE BILL
PETITIONS SAID TO REPRfsENr l4,000, 600
PEOPLE, INCLUDING CATHOLICS.
The hearing Of the Representatives Of the
Sabbath observance convention before the SUBJ
committee OF the Senate having charge Of the
bill to enforce the observance Of day Of rest,
was held in the public reception room of the
Senate to-day. The hearing began shortly
after 10 O'Clock. Senator Blair, chairman, and
Senators Palmer and Call were in attendance.
The large room was filed with ladies and gen.
tlenen who are promoters Of Christian work.
Rev. WE. Crafts, of New York, opened the
hearing by the presentation Of petitions in
support Of the bill to secure to the people the
enjoyment of the first day Of the week az .
day Of rest, and to promote its observance as a
day OF religious worship Among the petitions
was one from Cardinal Gibbons. representing
from the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engi-
neers and other labor organizations.
PROVISIONS OF THE BILL.
The bill has for it's object the securing to the
people the enjoyment of the first day of the week,
commonly known as the Lords day. rs day
Of rest. and to promote its observance as a day
OF religious worship. The bill provides that no
person or corporation shall perform any secu-
lar labor. nor shall any person engage in any
play. game, amusement or recreation on that
day in any territory. district, vessel or place
subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
United States. No mails or mail matter is to
collected, assorted, transported or delivered in
time OF peace on Sunday, but whenever any
letter shall relate to a work Of necessity or
mercy, or shall concern the health, life or de-
cease OF any person. and the fact shall be
tiers shall be forwarded to their destination,
due regard being had to the sanctity Of the
day. The prosecution of commerce between
the states is prohibited on the Sab
bath, and any person who shall break
the law will be subject to fine
military and naval drills and musters lin time
of peace). except assemblies for the due and
orderly observance of religious worship, are
forbidden. The last section of the bill declares
that labor or service performed and rendered
on the first day of the week in consequence Of
accident, disaster, or unavoidable delays in
making the regular connections upon postal
routes and routes of travel and transportation.
the preservation of perishable and exposed
property . the regular and necessary trans
portation and delivery of articles of food in
condition for healthy use, and such transporta-
ton for short distances from one state. district
or territory into another state, distrtt or terri
tory as by local laws shall be declared to be
necessary for the public good shall not be
deemed violations of this act, but the same
shall be construed, so far as possible, to secure
to the whole people rest from toll during the
first day of the week. their mental and moral
culture. and the religious observance of the
Sabbath day.
FOURTEEN MILLION PEOPLE WANT THE BILL
PASSED.
Mr.. Crafts was followed by Mrs. ]. G. Bate
ham, national superintendent of the Sabbath
observance branch of the Christian Temperance
union, who presented several petitions and re-
ported the efforts of her organization to bring
about the passage Of this Sunday law. She said
they had already obtained 1900, 900 signatures,
which with those represented by Cardinal Glib
bons made more than $4,000. 600 people who
wanted the law enacted. Every mail she said
brought her new petitions and new signatures.
Hon. G. P. Lord, superintendent of the Illi-
nOis state association, submitted in a very clear
manner a number Of points in support Of Sab
bath observance.
NO NECESSITY FOR RAILROAD TRAVEL ON SUNDAY.
Gen. A. s. Devin. the head of the American
Sabbath union and ex-vice-president of the
Erie railroad company, speaking as a railroad
man of experience, declared that there was no
necessity Tor railroad travel and transporta-
ton on Sunday. He said they could do as
much work in six days, with one day of rest as
they could do in seven, and that with the use
of refrigerator cars there was not the old OBJ
lection that fresh meats and produce might
spoil in transit. These cars also did away
with much Of the necessity for transportation
of live stock.
Senator Blair asked him what bearing the
question Of day of rest would have on the
safety of travel.
weary engineer, he replied, cannot per-
form his work as well as one who has had a
days rest To perform his work with caution
he must rest. The
DANGER OF ACCIDENTS Is INCREASED BIZ THE
SUNDAY WORK.
He said with relation to the mail service
that there was no business necessity for Sum-
day mail. In all urgent cases the telegraph
would be used anyhow, and matters not i'm
portant enough for that were of too little i'm
bath,
Rev. T. B. Stevenson, corresponding secre-
tary of the National reform association, ex-
planned that his organization was for the pur-
pose Of maintaining and promoting all the
Christian features Of our government, and that
He held that the law of the Creator not only
required the religious observance of the Sab
bath, but protected all mankind in
THE RIGHT TO DAY OF REST.
The law was 30 much part Of nature that a
violation of it never produced any advantage.
He declared that the President was exempted.
by the constitution. from work on Sunday, and
declared that this immunity should be extended
to the humblest individual.
Senator Palmer asked for the clause in the
constitution referred to.
DIR. Stevenson replied by quoting the pro-
vision giving the President ten days, Sundays
excepted, for the consideration of Legislative