St. Landry democrat., 1888-04-07
THE LA6ORER'S SUNDAY
How Secularization of the Day of Rest
Would Affect w orking- Men.

How Secular1Zatfon or the Day OF Ress
Would Affect w orking- Men.
Dr. Felix L. Oswarld, in his article
on THE Coming Civilization, speaks
as follows concerning the Sunday of
the future for working-men: The
working-men of the future will most
emph atically protest against medieval
methods of government Interference
with legitimate rewards of industry;
as, for instance, by the suppression OF
public recreation on the only day
when about ninety-nine per cent. of
our labor ers find their only chance of
leisure" If the working-men of the
future are wise they will do nothing
toward breaking down the legal re-
strict ons which are still thrown
around Sunday observances in this
country. They ought, on the con-
trary. to use all their influence to pre-
serve Sunday as day of complete
rest. The working-man, surely, needs
one day of rest out of seven. The
introduction of public amusements on
Sunday would diminish the respect
and reverence with which we, as
nation, have always regarded that,day,
and it would be but a short time
before the Lords Day" would be
completely secular; zed. As proof Of
this, take the Sunday Of the present in
France and Germany. In those coun-
tries is surely realized DR.. Oswald's
ideal of the workingman's Sunday.
There is an unlimited license in regard
to amusements, and, what seems to
follow as necessary consequence, an
almost unlimited license in regard to
business. From the statistics lately
collected by the Prussian Government
from thirty of its thirty-tive depart
ments we learn that of the 100, 1856
manufacturing establishments OF all
kinds in those provinces 1915 per
cent. were operated on Sunday. OF
the 147, 31S establishments interested
in trade and transportation in twenty
nine provinces, II per cent. were
operated ON Sunday. In France the
case is not quite so bad. but it is we'll
known that the amount of business
transacted on Sunday in Paris is inn
mense. In each of these countries
thousands of laborers and clerks labor
from one weeks end to another with
out any opportunity for rest, recrea-
ton, or self-improvement. What
strain this must be on
wearied muscles and overweight
nerves; and how intensely must the
tired laborer long for one day in seven
in which to take rest! But he has
voluntarily reduced himself to this de-
graded condition, and there is no re-
dress for him now; if he refuses to
work on Sunday his employer dis
misses him, and secures some one who
will. Now. does the American work.
man propose to follow the example Of
his French and German brotherse Il
will be sad day for himself and his
country when he does SO. Already is
there strong tendency here towards
secularization of the Sunday. Many
of our railroad companies run their
freight and passenger trains on Sum
day, and if their employees refuse to
work they are promptly discharged.
Other corporations, and even private
individuals. are following in the wake
of the railroad companies Nothing
would please avaricious capital and
grasping monopoly better than to see
complete secularization of the Sun
day in the United States. and nothing
would tend more toward the Degrade
ton and decentralization of the whole
country. William Black Steel, tss
North american RevieaD. -.f.
and and wafor