Wichita eagle., 1889-09-21
THE CLOSING DAY.
Yesterday Closing Business at the Sabbath Rest
Convent ion-The Officers and the Consti-
tutiOn-The Speeches.

A fair sized audience was in attendance
at the First NJ. E. church yesterday morn
ing to witness the closing business of the
Kansas State Sabbath Rest convention.
DEVOTIONAL exercises were conducted by
ReY Z. A. Carmin, of Winfield. The
chairmon then offered short prayer after
which the regular work was taken up.
The minutes Of the first days session were
read and approved. The committee on
credentials then made report which was
accepted.
Rev. DIR. Dornblaser, of Topeka, was
elected avice-president of the convention.
On motion committee Of three on fin
ance was appointed. The committee con-
sists of Revs Festus Foster, ". J. Martin
dale and ". VI. Sluth.
On motion committee of five
on state organization was appointed
The committee consists of Revs. S. l..
| Hamilton, S. B. Fleming. f. f. Blakeslie,
James White and A. H. Baker.
DR.. Crafts was then intr Quoted to the
| convention.
The topic, Railroads and Sabbath
Rest" was then taken up. Dr. Marvin, of
Lawrence who was expected to open the
discussion, was not present, but sent the
convention letter which was read.
w. II. Reed, of Kansas City, was also
unable to be present, but he likewise sent
a letter to the convention.
DR.. Crafts then arose and favored the
| convention with d few remarks.
DIR. White, of Arkansas City, arose and
addressed the convention on the Divine
Authority OF the Sabbath"
DIR. Blakeslie, Of Topeka, fol-
lowed with an address on "Why
observe the first day of the week
as the Christian Sabbath" DR.. Crafts
made additional remarks.
Rev. Wylie, of Sterling, discussed the
| "Objections to the Sunday rest bill. J"
| Further remarks were offered by Rev. J.
NJ. Munroe and Chancellor Everest An
nouncements having been made, prayer
was offered by Chancellor Everest and the
con vention adjourned to meet at ? o'clock
p. N.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At 2 O'Clock the devotional exercises
were commenced. At their close Chair
man Fleming arose and announced that
the regular program would be taken up
| The chairman said that the first
thing on the program was the ad-
| Topeka, on THE American Sabbath
| Union" but as Mr. Dornblaser was not
present the Rev. WILDER T. Crofts, d. D.,
| Field Secretary of the American Sabbath
| Union of New York, then arose and after
few brief preliminary remarks as re-
CARDS the I'M Justice which had been done to
him by calling him up he at once plunged
into the address. Mr.. Crofts commenced
by speaking of the work that had been
! done in the east toward the adjustment of
the Sunday excursions and the good that
had been done to the employees of the rail
way and steamship companies by the abol-
ishment of Sunday work. The speaker
then continued and told about the work
that was expected of him. His delivery
was clear and distinct and as his talk
about his work was interesting it earned
for him close attention. The following ex-
tracts are taken from the reverend gentle
mans talk:
SIN this age of combination and organ
ization, when, as one has said, "a mother
can hardly spank her own children with
out a constitution and bylaws, let US not
allow the value of consecrated individual
ity to be deprecated. 1t played an impor
tant part in the recent restriction of Sun
railroads. a Christian gentleman, OBJ
serving the evil influence of Sunday ex-
cursions id Central New York, instead of
saying, One man can do nothing against
these great corporations sat down and
wrote a letter substantially as follows:
Dear Mr.. Vanderbilt:
Next Sabbath, when you are at church,
and the fourth commandment has been
read and YOU are about TO responp, please
think of the Sunday excursions from SYRIA
cuse to Niagara at 30 cents for the round
trip. Think now the Sabbath is made
day of toll to hundreds of your employees
to whom it should be a day of rest
of conscience. Think of the young
people ailured by the cheap excursion to
the beginnings of dissipation. Think of
broken hearted parents troubled by this
disObedience and waywardness Of their
children. Think OF these things and then
devotedly pray, Lord have mercy upon US
and incline our hearts to keep this law. "
The answer came by the next mail Mr..
Cornelius Vanderbilt thanked the writer
fer his faithful letter, and said it was his
first knowledge Of these excursions, and
that they should be immediately discon-
tinued. Let Us magnify the power OF one
as well as the power OF union. "One
shall chase a thousand is not hyperbOle
but history. But two shall put ten
thousand to flight that is, organization
multiplies power five-fold. Last year
when went to the Southern Presbyterian
assembly TO explain what WAS desired of it
by the organizers of the American Sabbath
union, which was then in a nebulus state,
l was asked by the stated clerk,
Whom DO You represent / replied, Il
represent myself" to which. with char
acteristic Wit, he answered, THAT is un-
fortunate" This year." said to him, Il
represent the Southern Presbyterian AS
sembly and three other Presbyterian as
semblies, and the Baptist church. north
and south, and the Methodist Episcopal
church, north, and the Reformed Dutch)
church, which officially constituted our
union during last year" The other evan
gelical churches are unoficially in the
union by the cooperation Of their leaders
and churches, and are eXected to join it
officially when their higher councils meet.
TaiS National union OF the friends of the
Sabbath has given great impulse TO
the organization of state and local aSso-
Citations. So far as | am able TO learn
there are but two state organizations for
the defense of the Sabbath that have
yet held a second anniversary, namely, the
New Jersey sabbath union and the Nary
land Sabbath association. The Illinois
Sabbath association was the first of the
new series. 1t was followed by the Iowa
Sabbath association, and the Kentucky
sabbath union. These were organized be-
fore the National union. Since the organ
ization OF the latter, and with its CO. opera
ton. Ohio Virginia, Missouri and Arkan-
sas have organized: and conventions are at
hand for like purpose III Minnesota and
Wyoming. IniUiatory measures TO the
same end have been taken in Massachu-
sets. New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana,
Kansas. Montana and California; and any
state Of territory that would not be in the