The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-04-21
THE LABORER'S SUNDAY.
How Secuiarization OF tho Day Of X est
Would Anect Worllng Mon.

Would Affect Working Mon.
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
emphatically protest against med mval
methods of government Interference
with legitimate rewards of industry;
M. for instance, by the suppression of
public recreation on tho only day
wnen about ninety-nine per cent. of
our Labor ers find their only chance OF
leisure" II the working-men of tho
future are wise they will do nothing
toward breaking down the legal re-
strict ons which are still thrown
around Sunday observancos in this
country. They ought on the con-
trary. 10 use all their influence To pre-
servo Sunday rs 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 n
nation. have always regarded that,day.
aud IL would be but short timo
before the Lords Day" would bo
completely socuar'zed. As n proof of
this, take the Sunday of the present in
France and Germany. In those coun-
tries is surely realized Dr. Oswald's 8
ideal of tho workingman's Sunday.
There is an unlimited license in regard
to amusemenls, and. what seems TO
follow rs necessary consequence. an
almost unlimited license in regard TO
business. From the statistics lately
collected by the Prussian Government
monts we learn that Of the 100 100
manufacturing establishments of all
kinds in those provinces $40 per
cent were operated on Sunday. or
tho 147 3lS establishments interested
In trade and transportation in twenty
nine provinces. az per cent were
operated on Sunday. In France tho
case Is not quito SO bad. but it is we'll
known that the amount Of business
transacted on Sunday In Paris is inn
mcnse. In each Of these countries
thousands of laborcrs and clerks labor
from one weeks end to another with
out any opportunity for rest. recrca-
tion. or sclf-improvoment What
strain this must be on
wearied muscles and overwrought
nerves; and how intensely must the
tired laborer long for one day in seven
in which to take rost But he has
voluntarily reduced himself to this de-
graded condition. and there is no re-
dress for him now; il he refuses to
work on Sunday his employer Il s.
misses him. and secures some one who
will. Now. does the American work
man propose TO follow the example II
his French aud German brothers2 IL
will be n sad day for himself and his
country when he does so. Already $
there n strong tendency here towards
secularization of the Sunday. Many
OF our railroad companies run their
freight and passenger trains on Sun
day. and IL their employees refuse to
work they arc promptly discharged.
Other corporations. aud even private
individuals, are following in the wake
of the railroad companies Nothing
would please avaricious capital and
grasping monopoly better than to see
a complete sccularizalion 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 SleeL ia
North American Rericic.