St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-27
Signatures to Petitions FaV-
oring the Blair Bill We're
"SWelled."
He Claims Only 401 Out of,
Fourteen Million Were =
Genuine. J
Cardinal Gibbons Individual
Signature Standing for Z
100000 Catholics.

Evils Of Religious LEGISLATION" by
Elder A. L. Jones, was given at the Adj
yentist church last night, to very ap-
preciative and attentive audience. LII
opening, the speaker remarked that in
studying this subject we have found in
every line that can be followed, from
the statement made, the record of the
Bible, and from legal standpoint, only
evil can result from religious legislation,
developing into religious despotism, or
religious power putting itself in
the place of God making parallel to
the papacy. Now, tonight L want to
call your attention to the methods
adopted by those who are working for
and leading out in the effort for Sun
day law, and ask you if anything but
evil can come of it. / know the leaders
are ministers, and also the w. G. Il. u,
but because these are i'll good standing
it is not to be wondered at that when
they start out to do that which is con-
trary to scripture, they should do things
contrary to right and rectitude.
AS TO THE PETITIONS
presented to the senate committee, they
claimed 100000 signatures, but when
Senator Blair presented the petition, he
reported only 407 bona fide signatures.
/ wrote personally to the senator to ask
il this was correct, and he answered it
was, and was just as the report pre-
scented it, all of which can be ascer-
tanned by applying to the clerk of the
committee on education and labor of
the senate at Washington. Foot after
foot of these rolls are all written by the
same hand, one hand for one place and
another for the next place. How did this
come about? All but the writer's name
is given by Endorsement. The minister
would read the petition in church and
ask all who favored it to assent to it. Ii
say fifty out of the 500 church members
signify their acQuieScence, the minister
would sit down and write all the names
OF the church members, even if some
were not there, and others opposed it.
A notable instance of this. l remember,
occurred in Iowa. Now they are start
ing over the same ground and going to
these very individuals to get individ-
ual signatures, the secretary of the
association writing circular to
DUPLICATE ALL THESE
Mrs. Bateham, OF the w. c. T. U,
says: ''SlgnatureS are most valuable,
but Endorsements count up fastest. In
indianapolis 240 signatures of Knights
of Labor delegates obtained by DR..
Crafts were counted to include 100000,
all the knights in the country. Again,
Cardinal Gibbons wrote letter indorS-
ing the petition, and on the strength Of
his name they counted 7,250,000. all the
Catholics in the country; and remember
large portion of these Catholics are
members of the K. of L.. so ..dupli-
eating" names again. Now the general
conference of the Methodists. Presby-
terians and the Dutch reform churches
Endorsed the movement, and so DIR.
Crafts counted in all the membership of
these churches, and as the members of
these churches are largely members of
the W. G. L. u, all of whom were pre-
viously counted, duplicating" came in
again. The speaker read Cardinal Glib
bon's letter to DR.. Crafts to show that
the cardinal
SPOKE ONLY FOR HIMSELF
saying. II am most happy to add nv
name" but nowhere indorsing the petit
ton in behalf of the Catholic church,
the speaker following this with letter
to D. E. Lindsey, of Baltimore, from
the chancellor, or secretary, of Cardinal
Gibbons, written by order of the car
dinal, that she had no authority or in
tention of binding any one but HIM
SELF" 1t is incorrect to assume
any such thing; but yet, said the
speaker, they go on counting the Cath
country are signing petitions against this
work, "a brother being present who Sc
cured over 1000 names of bishops, priests,
runs, ETC., against such legislation. An
other point their petitions claim: every
signature is that of persons lover
tWenty-one years of age" while they
control all church members and Catho-
lies of all ages, and when the ministers
wrote these names they certified the
persons were of age. Now, l want to
show how DR.. Crafts obtained tie sig
natures of the Knights of indianapolis.
He was asked if it would be best for the
government to control all the railroads
and to stop Sunday trains. He replied:
Il believe in that" If the railroads re-
fuse what we now ask, the people NAV
demand control over all the work"
And in reply to another question, he
said that
THE OBSERVANCE OF SUNDAY
cannot be secured without its religious
feature. The speaker then read the
petition being pushed in Minnesota and
other states asking for law forbiding
the employment of labOrers ON Sunday,
and compelling employers to pay seven
days wages for six days work, and the
laborer to be protected in his right to
demand it. 1t may be claimed DR..
Crafts does not mean to demand seven
days pay for six days work, but DR..
Elliott, before the senate com
mittee, was asked if he pro-
posed that the government should
provide for paying the laborer
who was stopped from working on Sun
day for that day, or seven days for six
days labor, and he answered, Il do"
So, of course, when DR.. Crates brought
this before the Knights they very read
lily Endorsed it, but there are thousands
of these Knights who could never be
brought to sign anything like this. The
principle upon which DR.. Craft secured
these signatures, and the arguments
given to procure signatures generally.
is nothing more or less than socialism,.
Another thing, it is a lamentable spec
tacle to see Professionals as snch =