Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-19
THE SABBATH DAY.
now TO SECURE BETTER OBSERVANCE
OF IT By OUR PEOPLE
Discussion Last Might at the Monthly
Meeting Of the Evangelical Al
lisnoo OF Richmond.

a. ihs5yssi Presbyterian churca, president
Of tbfS6dy. presided aud conducted deyo-
tooal services. Rev. Messrs. Funsten OF
80 Episcopal Church snd Martin OF the
Methodist Church led In prayer.
THE SUBJECT.
Dr. Kerr then announced that The subjects
for discussion. allow csn we better main
tain tte cbscl vance Of The Lords Day or
(n-i.f.aa sabbath 2" and Would II be ex.
,..n.nf to hold a State sabbath COnven-
fout" Uould be taken up. Speeches were
yoila.. rs and were limited 10 ten minutes.
Or. u00E's VIEW.
rov. pr. Hoge said he could remember
when Richmond was celebrated for ils 0b-
srrgaHee ~ tbe sabbath. but he did not think
thi. c1uld De SAID nov. though he believed
We were in this particular abreast Of any in
fle sud. lie referred 70 the many induce>
mrnt, that are now offered The people 70 lure
them from their houses OF worship. The
strcei-cars offered opportunity for thou
sands 70 visit the suburbs OF the
CITY, there 10 engage ~ sports and amuse-
mcuIs, and thereby desccrsto Gods holy
day. lie hsd been told that 1000 people
visu HOLLYWOOD cemetery every sunday.
Before the Exposition closed he had head
That thousands went n that place every sun
fHf evening. ht iAiHVNtN fAfi lhlhNt-
uifnt after nducemcnt in the way OF eXcur-
sion trains 20 get the people away from
nc c,tg on sunday Sunday dinners aud
afternoon gatherings are becoming more ire
oucnt every week, sud those who thus spend
tue day arc not prepared 20 profit by the
Sunday.nignl seryico. He thought the sooner
fac u 'nisters take some action in this matter
the better. a. tt il pain enough that Sabbath
dcsecfaii0n Is 90 the increase IN Ibis city.
The Doctor ssid be thought IL we could
gota sunday convention in this CITY, q good
programme upon which all denominations
could unite, a list Of good speakers from
abrosd. aud 2 large crowd OF people TO attend
4 would DE a grand thing. lie was sure
tie effects oi such a gathering would
Do felt al over the city, state, and
country. fie remembered A Sabbath con-
vcuton In this city soon after he. mere
l9v. came here 10 live. II did a great work,
and 10, iofuence was felt for long time all
over Virginia lie closed by urging his bre'
thren io go 10 work In earnest and he ielt
assured that the press would join them 10
their good work.
THF IyIIg or SABBATH BREAKiNG.
Rev. ~. T.. Judkins, OF Centenary Metho-
dist church. said that the great question 10
he here cOn-id red il, Can we devise some
mean, 10 cause the sabbath 10 be more gene.
fally obseryedi The evil effects are appa-
rent, aud II the ministers and good people
do not take some action their silence VIII
Dee construed a. indicating that they
countenance such things In our midst.
Ue sgreed with Dr. IIoge that
STATE convention would be good thing, but
le had another plan. let sl the ministers
40 10 work and preach special sermons on
this great evil and create q popular sentiment
tnaf will soon crush out all Sahbath-day
decoration in our fair city. He believed the
good Christian people OF Virginia would
yer, readily respond TO the call for sabbath
convention, aud lot their minds be first pre-
pared for such an occasion. lie bad heard
That the eloctric-cars carry between 10000
suj 1880 persons every Sunday. When
those people drift away 10 the suburbs oI
tbe CITY they drlft away from good inilu-
euccs n this thing Kept on the churca MEM
hers would qt last GO. Hls idea was TO begin
right here 1T home and preach Sabbath-day
Observance.
IREACH To TIE PEOPLE.
Eev.l.A. Cutler. of the Christian church,
lought 1ir. Judkins's idea good one.
Preach 10 the people that they must keep the
day holy AS Cod has commanded them. He
had lately preached several special sermons
ON the Observance Of the Lords day, and
would continue 20 do 50. lie had
occasion one sunday evening 10 pass
"a ot on the suburbs OF the town,
and 90 his horror saw men and boys
cnQiccd IN an exciting game OF baseball.
Iie had also seen In one OF the CITY papers
that this was no uncommon occurrence. Tie
wanted TO know how TO reach these
rrople who wander away TO evil prac-
tees. Men shut up their places of
business because The civil law requires them
{ DO TO. but how 10 get them to depart from
their evil course in the great question. Mr.
cutler closed by saying he hoped his brother
ministers would go TO work IN earnest, and
that "a Grand sabbath convention will be held
and toe matter carried home TO every man,
woman, aud child IN the city.
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.
Rev. l.. Y. lloWison followed Mr.. Cut
l,r. and said hc heartily agreed with what
that ecutltmsn had said. He believed the
country 10 be M imminent danger from the
failure To observe the Lords day. II the
thirty,hye Protestant ministers IN Rich-
n1ud were 10 preach upon tins great ques-
ton they would not all preach everything
REQUIRED IN the observance OF The sabbath
daf.
Mr. Uowison said that no one could look
upon beautiful Richmond without observing
thst Sabbath desecration is becoming more
and moro common. The people seem to be
unconscious OF the fact thst the Lords dsy -
q holy day. lie flmv believed the sunday
press does more 10 help TO desecrate the sab
bath day than any other one thing. The men
take these papers and read them all day aud
,tly away from church. lie hoped con-
ere,s would pass the sabbath bill, and no.
l. lawyer, believed they hsVe the power
to DO SO; and then we will hear no more
wliNles from ireighttfains 90 that day. The
md Ytpf m
f.r The sabbath. The Seventh day WAS the
loiv dav until the resurrection OF Christ, and
now cod requires us to observe the frat dsy
% the week as sacred, and Gods laws should
be ohcyed.
sTREETCARs.
Rev Dr. Dashel. Of st. Marks Episcopal
church. said he hoped the theology OF the
sabbath question would not De discussed.
The object OF The discussion Is 10 devise
mans 10 break up the evil complained OF.
The Doctor spoke Of how men are kept
awav from their homes. from their families,
and from their houses OF worship by having !
to eo away on sunday to fuihl their con-
tracts with the railroads aud streei-car !
lucs. There sre some ministers here 10 |
Rlclmond who refuse 10 nde on the street |
,.rs on sunday, but there are Others who |
wbl persist IN riding IN these ears |
ON SUNDAY. lie thought the ministers /
saould ~, the example 10 the outside world |
aud refuse 90 pstTonlze the strcetscars on |
sunday.
1HE PRESS.
The Doctor next turaed his attention to /
She newspapers. and ielsied that he had |
heard worldly men say the sunday Dispatch /
causes more Sabbaih-breakiDg In this city !
tasn The bar.rOoms. The people get the /
paper on sunday morning and become alb I
sofbed in It's contents and read instead OF si' |
tending church. lie noticed that the outside /
lAges Of lhe Dispatch on Sunday are hlled /
with advertisements OF dry goods for ladies, /
aud he thought this an injustice TO the ladies',
for they are the last people on earth 20 engage /
in bad practices and the last ones 10 READ
sunday paper.
SABBArH.DEFESCE ASSOCIATION.
Mr.. Y. w. Wood thought II would be
wise thing for the meeting 70 organize 1
eabbatb-detence ASSOCIATION, aad organize II
night away.