Wichita eagle., 1889-03-05
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.


Central, recently addressed the Evangel-
ical Alliance at Detroit on the Sunday
question. He handled it in manner
suggesting cool, level head, and he
taught the distinguished divines present,
a plain, practical lesson. The following
are extracts from his address:
SIN this state there are employed on
railroads no less than q, 900 men, and
between Chicago and New York, on one
system alone, of which the road repre-
sent is member there are employed over
30, 900 men, the greater part of whom
are connected with the movement of
trains. The work of running Sunday
trains does not simply require COLI
ductors, brakemen, engineers and fire.
men, but it requires train dispatchers,
operators, section men, car repairers fore
men of engine houses, hostlers and yard
men: in fact, l might say almost the
entire force. with the exception of the
clerks, to be ON duty either wholly or
partly. To this army of workingmen no
day comes for rest while it is a
rule with every railroad company that no
man shall be allowed to go out for work
if he has not had enough sleep since his
last trip. l refer now 10 another and
lighter kind of rest, the rest for the
mind and soul-to the day given to a
man when he can pull himself together
and think what there is behind him and
what the future holds for him.
No one company can stop Sunday
work of itself. Through the great gate
ways Of Chicago, st. Louis, st. Paul and
other large western cities pours daily the
almost hmitless product of our fertile
west. Let any railroad company at
tempt to stop from Saturday at mid
night until Sunday at midnight, receiv-
ing or delivering freight. Monday would
find it blocked, its tracks full of cars, its
train service disarranged. and it could
not be Strengthened out for several days.
Blockades are expensive; they delay
ton will not help unless it is universal.
To stop the running of Sunday trains in
Michigan and permit the same in Ohio
simply means to destroy the Michigan
roads of business for the benefit
of Ohio roads To legislate on ques-
ton SO universal in its interests, so far
reaching in its effects, is problem
fraught with many difficulties 1t has
its religious as well as economic phases.
Congress, under the constitution, has
the power to regulate traffic between the
states. 1t has exercised that power in
the passage of the well-abused interstate
commerce law. The state OF Massachu-
sets, through its railroad commission,
undertakes to regulate the running OF
Sunday trains.
To bring all railroads competing
for through or interstate traffic, which
comprises the great bulk of traffic, under
a common policy in this regard, congress
might have the power, through the inter-
state commission, to make certain regu
lations prohibiting the running of trains
on Sunday, except those carry
ing passengers, live stock or
perishable freight. This would tend
largely to decrease the num-
Der run. But there is danger in this
1t is another step toward
and one in which the re-
ligious phase must enter largely. No
one will admit the power of congress to
legislate on religious questions, and any
such legislation as have suggested may
prove an entering wedge to the exercise
of a power specially prohibited by the
the result of which may be
fatal to our institutions. The force of
public opinion is the only power which,
in my judgment, can bring about
change.
The present condition as to Sunday
work on railroads is all wrong. 1t is de-
to employees, and ought not
to exist, but the public and not the car
rier is to blame. 1t is convenient for
thousands to have street cars run on
Sunday, 1t allows one to go to church in
cold or rainy weather in comfortable
way, but it requires the work of man to
run them on that day. Excursions by
boat or rail, in summer, are claimed to
be a great boom for the laboring classes.
Admit it if you please, but for every
such excursion some must loose their
Sunday rest. We have drifted far away
from the Sabbath of our Puritan fore
fathers. Works of nece ssity on that
lay were approved, better name now
would be Works of convenience" |
need my Sunday for rest, and | know Of
no reason why every engineer, con-
luctor, brakeman or other employe OF
he company does not want the same.
The question is fraught with many diff
,ulties. 1t must be handled wisely and
and progress can only be
made by gradual steps, and not by one
sudden change.