Morning journal and courier., 1891-04-27
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE,

A Warning From NIT. Lines-BvI
 and Not Good From Freedom From
 Restriction-Danger Tendencies.
 In the course of Q sermon yesterday morning on the observance of Sunday as day of rest, by Rev. MT. Lines of St.
 Pauls church, he used these words: The law of the state recognizes Sunday as 8 day of rest The laws in reference to the subject are very old and such as are not warranted by public opinion. For exam pie, the law forbidding persons going to places of amusement, to concerts and like entertainments on Sunday is constantly broken. Until Christian people cease hay ing praise services, so-called, and musical displays on Sunday evenings they have lit tie right to protest. But the interpreta- tion of the law in the courts as forbidding the opening of places of amusement for money is altogether reasonable. No right minded man desires to see the pubic places of amusement opened for money making. It would be a long step towards
 the destruction of Sunday. The difficulty is in changing ancient laws without re- moving all the restrictions about Sunday
 which save it for rest. If the legislature
 of this state were now organized there
 would be strong effort to change the Sun day laws in the interest of what is called unrestricted personal liberty. That question is sure to come, and as good citizens we must be prepared
 to meet it. We must not allow the selfish
 ness and greed of men to destroy the rest
 of Sunday.
 Our position as Christians is commonly
 mistaken. It is supposed that we desire to make people keep Sunday as religious duty, whether Christians or not We are
 supposed to wish to put pressure upon all
 kinds of people to make them go to
 church. Nothing could be further from our purchase. We have all read history and learned the folly of trying to make people religious by outside pressure. Itis perfectly fair to ask that in legislation, consideration be given to religion, but we want no legislation which attempts to make people religious. It is right to ask that Sunday remain 8 day favorable for religious worship. Our institutions are l rooted in religion and our legislation is premeated by Christian principles. But we ask no help from the state. The voices which call for the removal of the restrictions about Sunday are from many sides. One would think some times that it is the demand of the great multitude of wage-earners smart | ing under the sense of oppression. Sure sonal liberty Is it a hardship that the dram shops are closed on Sundaysi Have | not societies of every kind perfect free | dom2 Cannot men and women go and come at their pleasure? The opening of | public places of amusement would satisfy the greed of few rather than make need, l ful recreation for many. You must know that already poorly paid men and women spend money entirely beyond their means upon the theater. Families go without proper food and clothing that money may
 be wasted upon shows which neither in struct nor elevate. The ranks of poverty who support public places of amusement already. He must have little knowledge oi
 the subject who desires Sunday to become like every other day in this particular Some of the utterances in the name oi l waee-eaI ners upon this point are inspired | by cheap sentiment Others show some
 thing of the spirit of the demagogus. Abov,
 all men the poor and those who car, least have most at stake in tht
 preservation of Sunday. Open the place. of amusement and throw down tho barrier
 which save Sunday, and the factories anG
 stores are likely soon to open and all kind
 of work go on. And then the greates
 sufferers will be those who have by hard
 est work to earn their daily bread. Il
 France and Germany there is a defnit
 movement towards more in the way of re
 striction in respect to Sunday. Let us ss
 to it that we give not up what other peo | pie find hard to get back. As citizens desiring the welfare of the state, with . special obligation toward the most helples in the community, we ought to hold fss .sI the old thought of Sunday as 6 day of res It means hardship for few or none.
 means great blessing to . multitude,