Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-31

GENERAL ana Mrs. Wanamaker. No reception
will follow the dinner.
Mrs. Olive Logan Skies leaves the city today
for New York, where she will take . steamer
for Europe.
FOR A DAY OF REST.
Congressmen and Others Argue for q
Sunday Law.
THE OPENING OF THE SABBATH REFORM coNvEN-
TIoN-ADDREssEs BY REPRESENTATIVES DING
LEY, BUCHANAN AND oTHERs-DR ELLIOTT
HOLDS SUNDAY LAWS TO BE CONSTITUTION.
The long-drawn-out session at the House yes
terday caused little delay in the opening Of
the Sunday rest convention at the Foundry
| church last night. Two OF the speakers last
night were members Of the House of Repre-
sentatives, but while they arrived little late
their vigorous utterances and able discussion Of
the measures now pending before them we're
so satisfactory to the large audience that every
thing was excused.
The meeting last night was opened by an ap-
propriate introductory service conducted by
Rev. A. ". Pitzer.
REV. MR.. CRAFTS ADDRESS.
Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, the secretary of the
American Sabbath union, started the regular
proceedings. Mr.. Crafts referred to the dis
covery of the fact that the District was without
sunday rest law through the finding of men
working on the streets on that day. Continuing
he paid high compliment to the beauty and
general good morality of Washington, there
being only Sabbath observance law needed, he
said, TO make the city far in advance of any
capital in the world Mr. Crafts said it was
not the liquor dealers, or the infdels, or the
Sunday newspapers, or the Hebrew race who
were making the greatest opposition to the
Breckenridge bill. but it was the Seventh Day
Baptists and Adventists who were raising their
voices and using their means to greatest ex-
tent. The opposition, he thought was unfair
In the means they employed for the fight. The
speaker discussed to some length the question
OF whether men were really forced to work on
Sundays. He thought that where it was put
as question of working on the Sabbath or
losing place force was being used-a mental
force, stronger even than physical.
CHAIRMAN DINaLEY's ADDRESS.
Hon. Nelson Dingley, as chairman for the
evening" made q short address, He was, he
said, highly interested in this subject al citi-
zen of the country interested in its best in
terests and, as man interested in his fellow
men and VIII consider that Sabbath obsery-
ance Is best for them in mental, moral,
physical and spiritual sense. Church and
state are separated SO far as relates to govern
ment, but without a Sabbath free government
is impossible. Every man, he thought
should be interested in the question. Mr.
Dingley referred to his wide travels and the
conclusion he had reached that wherever the
church spire was.fouhd pointing as an index
hnger toward heaven there WAS to be found
good order, industry, morality, sobriety and
staDiiity OF government, and where q nigh idea
| OF the sabbath was wanting the industrial and
moral progress would be found at minimum.
Mr.. Dingley referred to the general desire of
merchants to have men in their employment
who were observers Of the Sabbath. The phys
| ical part Of man also, he said, demanded day
| of rest and his moral nature demanded day of
| recuperation. Where you find a young man
| defyng Gods laws on this subject you find a
| man who is like tree whose sap is being
| slowly drained.
| MR.. BucHANAN's SPEECH.
| Representative Buchanan of New Jersey also
| presented his views in strong and character
istie manner. He referred to the deadlock at
| the Capitol as an effort to find in tho game OF
viii st they were playing whether the deuce
took the tray or the tray took the deuce. Il
am in favor OF the entire separation of church
| and state" said Mr.. Buchanan. NEARLY every
persecution known in history has been done in
the name of church, and | will not vote for any
bill even to establish Christian Sabbath. Dut
will vote for bill fixing one day in
| the week as day of rest. Prac-
tice,. precedent and humanity all de-
| mand this, not as an enforcement of God 8
law, which should be enforced by the con-
|
Of the law of humanity toward man" Mr..
buchanan wanted the iaboring man to have
| time to recuperate. to get acquainted with his
family and to think in the broadcast sense OF
the word. He referred to the business princi-
| pal OF the matter and spoke of the Pennsylya-
mia railroad. He allowed that corporations
were lacking in souls, but the managers had
brains and great corporations were recogniz-
ing the fact that their best interests are served
by allowing their employees one day Of rest.
/ aat1 hnr -, L., .xs
rest and asked why should not men?
/ SUNDAY IN THE CONSTITUTION.
Rev. DIR. John II. Elliott of Ascension church
said that, yielding to the force of habit, he
would begin with text, and, as the civil Sun
4 day was under discussion. civil document
| the Constitution of the United States-would
furnish the text. 1t consisted Of two words
be found in article /, section l. subsection q,
which provides: III any bill shall not be re-
turned by the President within ten DAYS (Suu-
days excepted)," 30. Here is a recognition in
the federal Constitution, In the fundame N Ia
law, of the civil sunday. The Constitution
joyment Of the civil Sunday. How car
ID be inconsistent with the Constitution
that Congress should pass laws protect
ing the laborer in the enjoyment of Sunday
the laws be inconsstent with Constitution
which itself recognizes Sunday. 1t ha,
been asserted that the passage Of
the breckenridge bill would be in
violation Of the first amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting tn.
free exercise thereof" But the Congress which
proposed that amendment saw no inconsistency
between it and the words Sundays excepted. "
Sundays" from labor cannot be adjudged in
consistent with She FIRST amendment. The words
Sundays excepted" are found in twenty -eigh
out OF some thirty state constitutions which
give veto more or less qualified to the gov
erners, Massachusetts, and Louisiana being the
exceptions; and this fact the Speaker Urged alb
solutsly neRatived tbs dsolasation that Sun
day legislation is un-Amsrican. That cannot b.
un-American, he said, which is recognised il
the Constitutions Of twenty-eight American
states. The laws Of many states regulate the
civil Sunday. The object Of the Breckinridg,
bill. he said, is 70 follow the precedent Of the
federal Constitution and ''s1cept Sundays."
TEE RIoHr-HouR Law AND TIE SUNDAY Law.
Rev. Dr.. George Elliott was the last speaker
He thought the matter rested on the same prin.
sipls legally - the labor Law. II Congress
could say that . days labor should consist Of
eight hours they could certainly say that
weeks labor should consist Of six days.