Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-02-26
Tho workipgman,s Sunday.

DR.. Felix L. Oswald, in his article on
THE Coming Civilization" speaks as fol-
lows concerning the Sunday Of the future
for w~orkiuymen: THE w~orkingmen OF
the future will most emphatically protest
against medieval methods Of Government
interference with legitimate rewards OF in
| dustry; as, for instance, by the suppress
sion Of public recreation On the only day
when abOut niuety-nine per cent. OF our
laborers find their only chance of leisure. y
II the w~orkingmen of the future are wise,
they will do nothing toward breaking
down the legal restrictions which are still
thrown around Sunday o~bseryances in this
country. They ought, on the contrary, to
use all their influence to preserve Sunday
"a n day o fcomplete rest. The workiugmau,
surely needs one day Of rest cut CT seven.
The introduction Of public amusements on
Sunday would diminish the respect and
reverence with which we, as q nation, have
always regarded that day, and it would be
but q short time before the Lords day.
would he completely seculrized. Az a
proof of this take the Sunday of the pres
ent in France and Germany. In those
countries is surely. realized DIR. OSwald's
ideal of the workingman's Sunday. There
is An unlimited license in regard to amuse-
meuts, and, what seems to follow as a
necessary consequence, an almost unlimited
license In regard to business. From the
statistics lately collected by the Prussian
Government from thirty Of its thirty-fve
departments, we learn that of the 500, 156
manufacturing establishments Of all kinds
In these provinces, 57.T5 per cent. were
opersted on Sunday. OF the 147, 3l8 estab
lishments interested in trade and trans
portatiOn in twenty nine provinces, n per
cent. were operated on Sunday. In
France the case is not quito so bal, but 1T
is well known that the amount of business
transacted on Sunday in Paris Is immense.
In each of these countries Thousands OF
laborers and CLERKS labor from one weeks
end to another without any opportunity
for rest, recreation or self-improyement.
What q strain this must &c on wearled
muscles and overweight nerves; and how
intensely must the tired laborer long for
n day in seven in which to take q rest!
But he has voluntarily reduced himself to
this degraded condition, and there Is no
redress for him now, for if he refuses to
work on Sunday his employer dismisses
him and secures some one who will.
Now, does the American workman pro-
pose TO follow the example Of his French
and German brother? 1t will be a sad
day for himself and his country when he
does so. Already is there n strong ten
dency here towards the seculiarization OF
the Sunday. Many Of u railroad COM
panies run their freight and passenger
trains on Sunday, and if their employees
refuse to work they are promptly dis
charged. Other corporations, and even
private individuals, N following in the
wake of the railroad companies. Nothing
would please avaricious capital and grasp
ing monopoly better than to see q COM
plete secularizatiOn Of the Sunday IN the
United States, and nothing would tend
more towards the degradation and demorI-
ization OF our working classes, andthrough
them of the whole country William
Black Steel, ia North 1merican Rerie" for
March.