Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-08
A DAY OF REST.
What the American Sabbath Union Asks
For.

TIE CONVENTION TO BE HELD HERE NEXT WEEK
THE GOVERNMENT ASKED TO SET A GOOD Ex-
AMPLE TO SABBATH BREAKERs-rHE SUNDAY
REST BILL BEFORE CONGRESS.
Every national movement NOWADAYS sooner
or later results in a convention in this CITY. So
the national sabbath reform movement will
materialize here next Tuesday, Wednesday.
and Thursday in the form Of a convention at
the Foundry VI. Z. church.
There have been various local ORGANIZATIONS
looking to this object, said Rev Geo Elliott
OF Foundry church, member of the local COM
mittee of arrangements, to a STAR reporter last
evening, "but never before has a national
movement been organized"
s.How did this movement originate2" asked
The STAR reporter.
AT the last general conference of the NJ. z.
church committee was appointed to confer
with members Of other religious bodies with
reference TO organizing a national Association
in the interest of Sabbath reform. Prominent
on that committee were Bishop Newman and
others. Responses have been received so far
from the two Presbyterian bodies The gene
raj assemblies, both north and south. have ap-
pointed committees, also the Baptist Home
Missionary society and the synod of the Re-
formed church These committees together
held preliminary meeting at Chicago few
weeks ago and organized the American Sab
bath union. with Col. Elliott +. Shepherd. of
New York, the proprietor of the Nail and Err
press, as president, and Rev. J. II. Knowles.
also of New York, as secretary. The principal
thing done at that Chicago meeting, besides or
ganizing, was to call the convention to meet
here next Tuesday,
What is the aim Of the union?''
The general object" said lir. Elliott els to
push the work of Sabbath reform in all its de-
partments. All persons who believe that the
FIRST day OF the week Sunday. should be OBJ
served rs the Christian Sabbath are invited TO
cooperate with the movement. We desire TO
secure such additional legislation as is needed.
both national and state, to secure the enforce
ment of the laws we already have. and better
than all that. to stimulate the individual con-
science of good people on the subject. We are
interested also in the passage Of a national
Sunday rest law. similar to the bill already in
trOduced by Senator Blair, by which the car
rage of mails and their handling on the Sab
bath will be either prevented OF reduced to the
minimum. and by which, far "a Congress
has power to control commerce between states
Sunday traffic on railroads or other common
carriers shall be stopped"
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN.
The convention" said Mr. Elliott Twill dis
cusS in all its bearings the question of the rea-
tions of foreigners and theircOnce ptiOns of hol
iday SUNDAY to our Sabbath. and the question of
labor. We believe that the preservation OF the
weekly rest day is of vital Importance to the
laboring classes. so that we press the Sunday
question. not only q II liglOus matter but as
an economic question. / do not believe that
any American. even il he does not take a re-
hgious view of the matter wants. TO have a Pa
risian Sunday here. A Sunday on which
large part of the population is at work to min
lister TO the pleasure of others. dav of dissi-
patton. day for horse races. day chosen
sometimes for holding elections.
There has been recently everywhere great
revival of. guess / may call it. the American
spirit The American conception of the Sab
bath shades more toward the Puritan idea than
the European Puritanism of course went to
excuses; we do not want any blue laws But
we owe our American institutions TO the Puri-
tan spirit. For this reason we have called it
the American Sabbath union. and put the
movement on the basis of patriotism as well as
religion Ii is necessary to the preservation
Of our institutions that we should guard the
American Sabbath. Under despotism 1t does
net matter so much. so far as the perpetuity of
government goes. whether the Sabbath is re-
spected or the saloon is opened or not. If men
get drunk they can be locked up until they are
sober. But here the saloon enters into our
own politics. II threatens our institutions. We
have united with us many of the most dis
tinguished public agitatOrs. such as Joseph
Cook and others. i suppose in the last few
years more books and pamphlets and tracts
have been written on this subject than in half
a century before. Cardinal Gibbons has writ
ten letter on the subject to the secretary
which will be read at the convention. AID
know of its contents Is what have seen in the
the Associated Press dispatches. The last
plenary council held in Baltimore passed some
resolutions on the question of Sabbath OBJ
servance."