Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-18

| was entirely confined to the opposition, The
District Commissioners and the President had
all expressed their approval of the measure.
for citizens Of the District of Columbia
as received by the constituents Of nearly every
Congressman to the House. The bill does not
| apply to those who Use any other day as
day OF rest. There il today
work on the Sabbath although actual physical
force may not be used. The exemption Of
''woRKs OF MERCY AND NECESSITY
cannot become complicated. The words are
| adjudicated and their meaning we'll known. To
the District Supreme Court their Interpretation
might be left. Ten million people had indorsed
the bill outside Of Cardinal Gibbons, whose
| signature had created such q stir, but at any
| rate whose approval was worth more than one
simple man. Approval had been obtained
to the measure in many instances by the pas
sage OF resolutions after discussing the subject
by weii-known religious and labor organizations
and this vote Of approval was worth more than
were signatures to q petition. obtained no one
knew how, or whom representing. The petitions
and at . cursory glance might be signed
by friends Of the bill. 1t was non the establish
ment of religious rite he asked, but the grant
ing of q civil right. The opposition had
the real intention Of not only kill
elevation Of the Saturday Sabbath. He asked
for . civil Sunday. not a religious one. He
thought the opposition had not used fair
means in their fight They had
obtained signatures by various tricks, aud
Douglass to presids nt one Of their meetings
by false representations az to Its character.
THE OPPONENTS OF THE BILL
DR.. Corliss, pastor OF the Seventh Day Ad-
ventist church Of this city led off for the oppo-
nents Of the measure. He said he did not pro-
and and, unlike his friends on the other .ds he
would not indulge in personalities. He had
here petition signed by 7,649 citi-
Gems Of Washington praying that no action
should be taken and mere glance at the names
would show that to throw discredit on the Pc
tition would be placing the best merchants Of
the city on . low plane Of intelligence
He should oppose the bill even il it picked out
any other day but Sunday. We do not speak
for ourselves, a. our church is exempted from
the law, but the bill would place an insidious
worm at the root CT the constitution. The
title of the bill il ITO prevent people from
being forced to work on Sunday" This is in
congruous, as in the body of the bill no penalty
is placed on the person doing the forcing, but
THE POOR SLAVE,
after being forced to work, IN also to be pun
ished The speaker quoted from Mr. Crafts
book ON this subject to prove that no man ever
He also attacked the argument that
placed the matter on the same basis as the
eight-hour law. Let six days o week be con-
sidered . full weeks work, az eight hours
does q days, but leave the man
free then to do as he pleases for the rest Of the
Not a civil bill II we make labor on
Sunday civil offense we make it
a crime. Not the day but the offense which
constitutes a civil offense. The offense
being committed on r,s sunday ada;.;, makes i, it
a mental one in the minds Of people who think
it a wrong. It ia q matter Of conscience and
lies between man and God, and not between
man and man. By such bill We make our
| selves the guardian Of God.
Reference was made to the decision Of Judge
Walton Of Lewiston, Me-. following out the idea
that quiet work on Sunday was not civil dis
turbance, but simply mental one to certain
| people.
then, after the passage Of this bill,
preach anything not in harmony
with the views Of the majority The old laws
Of the District derived from the Maryland
laws Of l72S, made blasphemy, &cs crime to
Seaudine Il. forehead and ' on u0ne the
| third offense death. Connected with this was
| a clause imposing fine of 200 pounds Of to-
bacco for violation Of the Sabbath. An at
4
ago.
/ II civil law Why exempt any one. The in-
| teption was to 60 to great lengths after the
entering wedge had been inserted by this bill.
ATTITUDE OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Willard r. Hobbs, district master workman
Of District assembly 6s, Knights Of Labor,
created some surprise by saying no one had
been authorized to speak for the assembly in
favor of this bill They had vrtsally opposed
it. Some we're in favor of parts Of it, some OF
Of All . .sS some In t sasf'' Gpp0 ;ss
movement for a day Of rest, but they feared the
/ religious side of the question. The rest, he
thought, should be obtained through the labor
organizations.
Representative Campbell, q member Of the
committee, asked the speaker If he did not
know Of certain manufacturing establishments
where 1t was positively necessary TO run every
day.
EDFroR' Jones ARGUMENT.
A. r. Jones, editor OF the American Sentinel,
was the next speaker in opposition. He quoted
largely from Mr.. Crafts puSlished works show
ing how mon rather gained than lost
by refusing to work on the Sabbath. He
wanted men 70 staad by their convictions and
NOT HAVE TaEIR coNscIENcEs FORCED.
The President IL the Constitution Vas not for
hidden to work on Sunday. He was only given
the privilege 10 refrain, and he might 70 fishing
or do - much voek - he pleased The de-
eisioos OF saprens courts OF states have no
bearing ON The United States statutes. The
Constitution prohibits each Law. The clause
allowing rsaig1ous liberty V every one clearly
grasps Shis case.
By the BIN psrsoss are sxsmps who con-
i scisntiously believe b sems other day. 6oms-
Lsaisisa7s bedie ma ths souss &c % Iss.