The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-07
FOR SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

% Labor" and by Rev. Wallace Nutting on
sThs Power of Youth
FOR SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.
Rev. DR.. Edward Thompson's Address
1T the First Methodist Church.
Rev. Edward Thomson, LII D., secretary for
the Pacific coast OF the American Sabbath
Union, gave most interesting lecture last even
ing In the First Methodist Episcopal church,
Marion and Third streets. His subject was,
" The Relation of the Sunday Movement TO
Labor"
DR.. Thompson took for his text, PHILIPPIANS,
liza, "Look not every man on his own things,
but every man also on the things of Others"
"The most notable gathering that occurred in
Europe last year" he said, twas the labor con-
gress called by Emperor William. There were
sixteen of the powers of Europe represented
When the SWISS delegation came in with its
propositions, the first on the list was the Sunday
question, for they said the greatest thing for the
laborer was the protection of his weekly rest
Thus this great matter was precipitated upon
the assembly and received most thorough dis
cussion. As result the matter was brought
into legislative assemblies in Germany, Austria,
France, Switzerland, Hungary and Belgium, and
in al some Improvement was made in exist
ing legislation, and almost exclusively from the
consideration of humanitarian which urge TO-
night Final action has not yet been taken by
the French legislative corps, but all the other
national assemblies have acted Only a few
weeks ago the German reichstag passed its bill,
which grants a Sunday rest to nearly all the la
borers ofGermany, and nowhere in the realm
Of King William can man be discharged for re-
fnsing TO do Sunday work.
I'm the last three years this question has been
coming to the front in the United States. The
greed OF capital, the apathy of protesting Christ
lsns ana the neglect OF labor TO assert its rights,
Gemsking continued inroads upon the right TO
sunday rest. This right is conceded in the
constitution OF the United States, where the
president Is guaranteed his Sunday rest. 1t Is
conceded In the laws relating to the courts, leg
islative assemblies and various departments of
government 1t Is conceded in the common
commercial laws of the country regulating
banks and wholesale establishments. Under
the principle OF equal rights to all, which is the
fundamental law of the land. we claim for the
laborer the same privileges that are now granted
to these favored classes.
ave do not expect that every kind OF labor
can be stopped on Sunday, but we want to re-
duce that labor TO the minimum, and whenever
man Is obliged, from the necessities of his po-
siton, to work on Sunday, he must be granted
rest OF an equal number of hours on some other
day OF the week, without any reduction in his
monthly wages. This we claim as a law of hui
manity-a law of equal rights.
"All the various classes of business should be
placed upon an equality. The man who clings
70 the church and keeps a store ought TO have an
equal chance with every other merchant iu the
city. But your laws guarantee religious liberty
and under that pledge of your constitution he
closes his store on sunday in obedience to law.
The man who keeps open his business house,
whether IL be saloon or anything else, seven
days in the week gets an advantage over this
man in point OF trade. There are very few lines
Of business that are in any sense required to
keep open on Sunday, and the law makes wise
a.
economists of the world have shown that all the
business OF the week can be done in six or five
and one-half days instead of seven.
secondly, this is not only law OF equa
rights, but law of health"
Dr.. Thompson here exhibited diagram which
bad been prepared by DR.. Haegler, the eminent
scientist OF Germany, by which he showed the
results OF an experiment with six men who
worked six days in the week and six men who
worked seven days in the week, and IL was
proved by this great scientist that the six-day
workers under the system of Sunday rest were
Just as strong at the close OF the month as they
were at the beginning; while the sevenday
workers lost steadily in nervous and physical
power from the first week.
Continuing he said mo customs should be
permitted to exist in society which injure man
N DIS physical nature and are sure to break him
down before his natural time OF decay.
"Third-This is a law of efficiency. Statistics
countries show that, other things being equal,
the men working under a six-day system do
more work in year, aud a better average class
OF work. than those who work under the seven
day system. AS q notable example we would
compare the manufactures of England with
those of France. certain prominent French
manufacturer, who made study of the ques-
ton last year, announced at the opening OF 1891
that his establishment would thereafter run I'M
Ger the six-day system. Aud his decision was
based purely upon monetary considerations.
SIT is in the interest OF labor 70 have this sam
DAY rest, because the statistics of the world
show that, other things being equal, the lsborer
gets the same wages per year under the six-day
principle as under the seven, thus receiving a
higher compensation for the number of hours
In which he Is engaged. And besides he gets one
day each week for seif-improyement
"Fourth-This is a law in the interest of
home. We want to keep in this country a land
OF homes We want 10 retain the home day,
when the father is home from work and the
children are home from school, and all can put
on their best clothes and sing their songs and
enjoy day of love and happiness together.
"Fiith-This is law OF intellect In this
land OF ours, where every man is q sovereign
.no charged with immense responsibility, every
rsu must be a thinker. He must have time to
'ninA' One day each week should be set apart
s.s to lofty thought. when the man can
suus me great problems of today and make
"i,lseI worthy OF American citizenship
n-lhis is law for the reduction of
s,.'ne AZ Wen regulated governments provide
for making it easy to do right and diticult TO do
Srons Une,third of all the crime committed in
~ 49, "a tHe last four years is ehargeaole
20 the sunday saloon. And similar STATISTICS
gathered from various cities point 10 very nnch
the same percentage. The very frs, SUNDAY af
ter the Sunday closing went into efssc, 81 o.
einnau the number of sunday arrest. which
for the year past hsd averaged 100, was reduced
reduce criminal expenses ~
1--WE trust that the laborers OF this ci,v vii,
join most heartily in this campaign. vSioh :.
truly for the best interests OF all For ,ba -
fare OF our boys, 10 gain better Character az.
more intelligence TO our voters, for the sensrsi
elevation OF the people, let us cevelope such a
sentiment in this noble city that the law.
OF Washington shall so into beautiful operation
In ms 80. - ~. -.