St. Paul daily globe., 1889-06-16
THE SABBATH CONVENTION

There were some peculiar doctrines,
as might have been expected, promul-
gated at the convention of the friends
OF the Christian Sabbath at Westminster
church last week. 1t seemed as if the
leaders of the con vention had resolved
in their own minds in what manner
every individual in this country must
seek relaxation from the strain OF labor.
Their entire theory stood on the as
sumption that nothing is rest on the
Sabbath day but entire stagna-
ton. Prominent members de-
nounced Sunday excursions; others
who would have been prominent had
they been present, left written views OF
the Sunday newspaper as great cause
of unrest. Still others seemed to think
that if the street cars could only De
stopped and people compelled to walk
two or three miles to church twice on
Sunday they would rise on MONDAY re-
freshed and inyigorated. 1t VIII occur
to the common-Sensed observer that
these views are very one-sloeo. Hu-
manity is not all run in one
mould. There are as many ways
of resting as as there are
of working. 1t is an axiom that
not stagnation, but change of employ
ment brings rest. The man who sits at
a desk all the week wants physical en-
plovment on his rest day. lie must
walk. or ride or row. or something 10
balance up the weeks one-Sided laDor
in which the brain has borne the brunt.
On the other hand. the laborer is in
need of some mental pabulum on sun
day. He has desire to read, to talk, to
hear music, good speaking, or look at
pictures. But the strict Sabbatarlans
would have him housed between
sermons. in a Stuffy room with copy
of Bayter's Saints Rest on his
knees. Take. for instance, a travelling
man. whose business keeps him rushing
from one city to another on railroad
trains. getting inferior quality and
quantity of sleep as he goes. The SAB
batarian orders him to rise betimeS on
Sunday and appear at church, forblds
him to look at Il newspaper. except may
be a denominational weekly, full.ot es-
saws about the missionary work among
the HottentOtS and secular ADVERTISE
ments of gift enterprises and organs
given away. Common sense declares
that the way that man should rest Is 10
knit up the raveled sleeve OF care with
forty extra winks. even if he misses a
good sermon thereby. And so the Sab
batarians go on humbugging them
selves with theories that they do not
practice themselves but are very WILL
Ing others should practice.
Their great illustration is always the
Puritan age, which they fondly hope to
revive. 1t appears impossible for min
listers to understand that the PurltanS
were not representative of humanity,
but that they were freak: that they
stood for reaction against license. Ii
there had never been a lewd period in
English character, there would have
never been Puritan period. at
least on the social side. and until
the world sees another Charles rs
court it will never see another CrOm-
wells court. With all their sniyeling
psalm singing the Puritans were blood
thirsty and self-wllled to a degree, and
the best that may be said OF them is
that they are to be preferred historically
to their immediate predecessors and
successors, the Stuart dynasties. The
present status of society is so much
superior to either that it is unnecessary
to argue that Puritanism has gone,
never to come again.
The friends of the Sabbath have
great work to perform in securing to
the laborer, to the capitalist. to the men
and to women the unquestioned right to
one days rest in seven. But they have
no right to dictate how rest shall be
found. 1t ought to be assumed that in
this country everybody will enjoy his
rest day in lawful manner.
which is just what men like Senator
Blair, DR.. Crafts and others who are
riding their hobby do not assume. They
want to secure everybody rest day
and then dole it out to said everybody
in spoonfuls in manner to suit them
selues. They thus weaken their legiti-
mate hold on the laW-abiding element
that believes as firmly in the day of
rest as any of the leaders in the Sab
bath movement.
The convention dealt too much in
platitudes, and gave too much sympa-
thy to the men who get up Sunday
newspapers - on Saturday. They
have found better example as near
home. The Minneapolis mills are
time. % If they did they would
eat up the wheat crop in short order
The Northwestern Miller's reports from
week to week show that seven
or eight of the twenty-five mills
are always idle. And yet, it is
a fact that most OF the big flour
factories, when running, run on Sunday
nights. Why could not the convention
have called upon the big millers
and arranged with them to have
the manufacture of -four so
distributed that this Sunday work
might be done away? Would the fact
that the biggest millers are the biggest
pew holders render the Sabbatarians in
any wise diffident about doing their
duty in this matter?