Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-19
ONE DAY IN SEVEN.
Objects and Aims of Another Conven-
tiOn Being Held in This City.
SABBATH SOCIETIES IN SESSION.
Opening of the Worlds Fair on Sunday
Discussed at Length.
PITTSBURG BETTER THAN MOST CITIES

the Western Pennsylvania Sabbath Associ-
ton and the Sabbath Reform Convention
were held yesterday at the Eighth Street
Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Among those present were Rev. l. n.
Hays, Rev. Wilbur f. Crafts, the founder
OF the American Sabbath Association; Rev.
j. S. Mckee, of Butler: Rev. w. j. Ora
ham, Rev. D. S. Littell, Rev. d. McAllis-
ter, Rev. W. J. Robinson, Captain WISH
art, Rev. d. S. Kennedy, Felix r. Brunot,
Rev. E. R. Bell, Hon. Charles Carroll,
President of the Illinois Sabbath ASsocia-
tion, and Rev. George I. Puryes. Alto
gether less than one-half Of the 200 dele
gates expected to be present were in attend
ance
Rev. w. J. Robinson, of the First U. P.
Church, Allegheny, presided. At the morn
ing session the first subject for discussion
was "The Worlds Fair and the Sabbath. I"
DR.. McAIlister said the resolution to close
the gates OF the Worlds Fair was offered to
the Executive Committee.
DR.. Crafts said the only action taken by
the Worlds Fair was to refer the, question.
He added:
They talk of a compromise They talk OF the
lesser of two evils. They want TO open one
door, the door of the art gallery or the door Of
the machinery hall. We don't want one door
open. | believe the commission will vote
against the opening of the doors on Sunday.
All the States from which the commission
comes have Sunday laws, and do not believe
the commission will dare to break the laws
Rev. DR.. McAllister favored the appoint
ment of a county committee to get protest
from each business firm and every citizen in
the respective counties in the Western dis
trict
Rev. DR.. /. \. Hays favored issuing a
circular to the people who intended to ex-
hibit, calling on them to refuse to exhibit if
the gates were to be open on Sunday.
Another plan was that the Christian people
had this question in their hands, and that if
they let it be known that they would refuse
all aid to tine fair ii the gates were open on
Sunday, this would settle the question, and
the gates would remain closed.
FIRST RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.
This ended the discussion, and a commit
tee to prepare suitable resolutions was ap-
pointed. DR.. Crafts offered series OF reso-
lutions covering the points raised in his re-
marks, which were adopted.
Rev. Mr.. Crafts offered a resolution that
the Legislature be required to pass a reso-
luton for the punishment of all public officers
who fail TO cause the arrest of all breakers of
tie Sunday law.
The discussion Of Pennsylvania Sabbath
Laws and What They Ought to Be- was then
taken up. Captain Wishart said the Sunday
law Of Pennsylvanla was founded on the fourth
commandment, and that only work of charity
and necessity were excepted, and the carrying
on of any other kind of work was a breach of
the law The Captain SAID there was no need
for change in the Sunday laws. They were good
enough. and only needed enforcing.
II was resolved that the convention was salts
hed that the laws were efficient, and the Com
mittee on Resolutions was instructed to formu-
late plan to carry them out.
a delegate from Washington, Pa, desired to
reach the railroads. He said they were much
annoyed by the railroads on Sunday by reason
OF Sunday excursions. In discussing this ques-
tion Captain Wishart said the great trouble
was that many stockholders of the railroads
are members of churches.
Rev. w. J. Robinson, the Chairman appointed
Reys. McAllister, Hill and kirkpatrick a CON-
mittee on resolutions.
The first topic for discussion in the afternoon.
'Labor's Right to the Weekly Rest Day." was
opened by Rev. l. n. Hays. His remarks were
brief, and he only referred to an instance of
an acquaintance of his who had been laughed
at for refusing to run a canal boat'on Sunday
",
end he became rich as though he had operated
both institutions like similar operators
Rev. ID. McAllister followed. and spoke of the
constitu tional right of civil and religious lib
erty to every man.
Rev. W. F. Crafts closed the discussion. He
confined himself to the argument that the
closing down of employment on the Sabbath
would not affect the business Of the nation.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH.
Rev. J. 7. McCrory opened the discussion on
ofr laa
Sabbath" He said the day was made for man,
and he had a right to it. One-seventh of his
time was given him for rest which it was the
duty of the church to show him. The Sabbath
depends on the Christianity of a community for
It's proper observance. He then CON-
pared Germany and the United States
a. almost two extremes in the
observance of the day. lie said the laborer
had the same right to go into saloon for his
beer as the other man had 10 go next door for
his soda water. The church. he thought was
responsible for all reforms in good government
and was looked 10 for Improvement The COM
biued action IN this city OF, say, 1900 voters
could produce better laws and see TO their en-
tnrcemenJ. In fact. 1t had but recently been
done. Christian people had seen things going
from bad to worse, and had combined to enter
into the recent election.
Kew. D. :. Kennedy next spoke on "Works
of Necessity and Mercy on the Sabbath" Mr.
Mcmillan and Mr.. McCrory followed him
briefly.
Nj. McAIlister said 6O,UOO men were en-
ployed by the Government in handling mail on
Sunday. and the example certainly was bad
one. and should be discontinued by act of Con-
gTpss.
Dr. George said the first place to begin the
agitation for all these reforms was in the
church, which, he said, was too prone to wink
at violations of the law.
Captain Mishart said it decidedly was any
Cltlzen place TO enforce the law wherever he
iound 1t violated. He asked where Pittsburg
would have been had It NOT been for the Law
and Order League. He believed in arousinp
the church in the matter, but he held thar
every citizen of the land had a right to see the
law enforced
The old officers were reelected by a speciaI
committee. with the exception of T. p, Day-
treasurer. who resigned. ana W w Watres
elected IN hls stead Rev. d. f. Mc(Iill was
made Secretary OF the Executive Committed
and II. h. Porter was dropped.
SUBJECTS OF THE EVENING.
The evening session was the best attended of
all After the devotional exercises the meet.
ing was addressed on the Sabbath question Inv
the Rev DR.. Crafts. The speaker referred to
the laws IN the various States in the Union
and now they were observed, relating instances
OF the dlfhculty met with in enforcing the laws
Connecticut he said, is the best conducted
state IN the country on the Sabbath. Its laws
are observed, and after 10 o'clock in the morn
ing not wheel turns on a railroad in the State
on the Sabbath The law provides that only
such trains as are necessary shall
be run. Ihe question as TO what trains
are necessary was left to a railroad
commission, and 1t decided that the only ones
necessary were the milk train. to carry food to
the babies, and the one to carry the Sundo y
newspapers. Speaking of Pennsylyania he said
that while In some portions of the State rapid
strides have been made in the matter of sun
day observance yet 1t is not doing what it
should. Pennsylvania has the best Sunday
laws Of any State in the Union, if tbey were
only observed. They should be enforced and
national laws passed to control the railroads
and mail service and Interstate commerce
matters.