Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-12
A DAY OF REST.
The American Sabbath Union Begins
Its Conventions.

its Conventions.
ADDRESSES BIT LEADERS OF THE MOVEMENT
SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND NAMES HUNG Up
on THE WALL - ARG CxESTs IN FAVOR OF
STRICT SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
Foundry church was prettily and richly dec
Grated last evening on the occasion Of the first
session of the First National Sabbath conven-
ton. The monster petition, which has been
prepared for presentation to congress. contain
ing, it is estimated, some seven hundred thou
sand names, was the main feature of the deco
ration. The sheets Of paper containing the
names had been pasted on strips of red cambria.
making an effective combination of white and
red These strips were festooned across the
face Of the galleries, were suspended from the
walls and diagonally across the auditorium. In
the rear of the pulpit large American flag
was draped ON the wall and the altar rail and
pulpit were also covered with the American
colors. Shields of the states and territories of
the union, ali of which were represented in
the petition. were displayed on the face Of
the galleries. A large audience had
shepard the editor of the New York Mail and
Express. took seat upon the platform. He
was accompanied by Rev. DIR. Erskine, Rev. F.
W. Conrad. d. D., and the secretary, Rev. J. H.
n. ". y.
dressed in clerical black, and as he stepped
forward to call the convention to order he
adjusted pair Of eyeglasses on his nose. He
Is a man of medium height. and his iron-gray
hair and whiskers are closely trimmed. In the
absence of Bishop Hurst Rev. DR.. Erskine con-
Quoted the opening devotional exercises. and
then the regular program Of addresses was
followed By a foot note on the printed
programs those interested were reminded that
1.-THE besetting sin of public speakers is to
become absorbed in their themes as to for
get to be Just to those who follow them To
prevent this unconscious injustice" the admo-
milton continued. land also TO save speakers
the trouble of watching their watches, the as
slstant secretary will notify every speaker by
three taps with his pencil when he has but
three minutes in which to close, and by one
loud tap, if necessary, when his time is up"
Whether it was due to the influence of this
kindly warning or to the training of the speak
ers, they all managed to keep within the al
lotted time.
THE ORIGIN OF THE MOVEMENT.
The first speaker, Rev. Mr.. Knowles, gave a
sketch of the origin of the American Sabbath
union He said that the suggestion Of starting
such an organization was made to him by Rev.
Wilbur F. Crafts at Ocean Grove about a year
ago. The speaker undertook to bring the SUBJ
iect to the attention of the churches. and
spoke of the favorable results following such
action from the last Methodist General Con-
vention. the general assemblies of the Pres
byterian church, north and south, the Bap-
list missionary convention, and the Congrega-
tional and the Reformed churches. The move
ment. he added. had received the endorsement
of the editors of religious papers and of many
representative men. He though il matter of
congratulation that at last in this country there
had been a united expression of opinion on this
vital subject.
THE W. C. T. q.
The next speaker was Mrs. J. C. Bateham,
of gainesville, Ohio. superintendent of the
Sabbath observance department of the Womans
Christian Temperance union, who gave an ac-
count of the movement for a national Sunday
rest law. She had the manner OF a practical
speaker and her address commanded the at
tentlon OF the audience. In referring to the
petition which encircled the audience room
she said that it was if they we're encom-
passed about with cloud of witnesses. The
fourteen million of people represented by the
petition well as many others vet TO join the
movement Odd not propose 70 lose the precious
legacy which had been transmitted to them from
the fathers Every day additional petitions
were being received. The speaker said that
the petition on this subject originated
national Sabbath observance union when a
number of names were collected In 1884 the
Women's Christian Temperance union estab-
lished special department to take charge of
this work Since that time by organization,
by printing and by attention to legislation. the
department has endeavored to advance the !
cause. In 1851 a petition. signed by million !
and a half OF persons, was sent to the Senate |
of the United States protesting against the |
carrying of United States mails on the Sab |
bath. Last year half million of names was
added to the petition. and a hearing was
given by the Senate labor committee.
Senator Blair. the chairman of this COM
mittee. has since then introduced q bill
called the Sabbath rest bill. The knights of
Labor and the Brotherhood of Engineers have
endorsed the movement. AL that was asked.
said the speaker, was shat Sunday be observed
as a day of rest. There are state laws on this
subject. but they cannot be enforced to control
the interstate commerce or to prevent the car
rying of the mails. Therefore a law enacted
by Congress was needed. The opposition to
this movement. the speaker said came from
the following sources: The daily papers. es-
-pecially those publishing sunday editions the
railroad managers as a rule, steamboat COM
panles. pleasure resort proprietors. the saloons
and the brewers. The Seventh-Day Baptists
were also included, but the speaker stated that
their opposition arose from their religious be-
lief il the seventh day as. the true Sabbath. In
conclusion the speaker expressed the opinion
that the opposition would not be strong enough
to prevail. as il came mainly from those who
had pecuniary interest in the violation of the
Sabbath.
RAILROAD DIRECTORS VIEWS.
Col. Shepard introduced the next speaker.
Gen. A. S. Diven. of Elmira. " " as an ex-
director of the Erie railroad. and as therefore
competent to speak on the subject Of Sunday
trains. Gen. Diven read his address, and as
he explained to the audience. his writing was
bad and he had difficulty in deciphering it
rapidly. He maintained that Sunday trains
were not justified On the grounds of serving
either the interests of the public or of the
stockholders of the roads He said that the
amount of the traffic was the same whether il
occupied les hours of the week or IA. and he
added that it could all be carried ON in the
latter time without additional cost He denied
that the demands of trade or the capacity of
roads for doing business required SUNDAY
trains. He argued that it would be cheaper If
all work stopped fer one day. This
thing of Sunday trains was merely
custom which people could change if they only
would His argument only applied 10 the
stopping of the trains during the day As for
through trains he thought that il the companies
included the cost Of hotel accommodations for
the day in the price of the tickets that the
travelling public would have no objection to
"laying of for Sunday. He deplored Sunday
excursions being device TO lure people
from wholesome rest to unwhOlesome recrea-
ton In the course of his remarks he sug-
gesied that in the case of suburban trains they
might be run to bring people TO church in the
city and 20 their homes. He added that some
OF the friends of the movement thought thi4
suggestion had better be omitted from nv
paper. This last remark ELECTED such vigorous
applause from the audience that he remarked
the audience seemed to be of the same opinion