Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-14
V0man's Christian Temp. Union Column.

Closing OF tho Worlds Fair ON sunday.
According to the customs Of our
land, and largely according to our
laws, the worlds fair at Chicago
should be closed OH Sunday. We he
licvc that large proportion of Amer
lean citizens, representing intelligence
and conscience, will not desire to vio-
late law or depart from precedent by
asking that the gates be opened.
1t Is claimed by the advocates Of
Sunday opening that 1t is for the ben
eft of the working classes. The facts
are, the working people are not max
ing the demand. The leaders In favor
of Sunday opening are people Of leis.
ure. Workingmen's societies are large
ly in favor of preserving Sunday as q
rest day. 1t is estimated that at least
$4,000 will be employed in connection
with the exposition aud they would
be compelled to work seven days. In
1888 there was canvass made In Eng
land of workingmen's societies to
open museums. Sixty-two societies,
with 45,4S2 members, favored II, and
2, 422 societies with sol, 705 members
opposed 1t. The working men gener-
ally recognize the fact that If the rest
day is taken from one class of people
it may be taken also from the others.
The late meeting of the national
Farmers Alliance protested against
opening the gates OIL Sunday. Chica-
90 has already its Saturday half holt
day, aud special holidays will be add
ed TO make it easy for resident toilers
to get the benefit of the exposition
without trampling on the Sunday.
1t is also claimed that If the gates
are closed OH Sunday the people will
90 to worse places, that they will fire.
1uent the saloons anil resorts of dissi-
patton. 1t may be said that the great
majority of the people who will take
the trouble and expense TO go to Chi
cago to attend the fair are not the peo-
pie who frequent saloons and evil re.
sorts any day Of the week. The fact
would 10 if the gates were opened on
Sunday, the railroads would run ex-
cursions from every quarter within q
hundred miles. The city streets would
be crowded and riot and dissipation
would reign supreme. 1t would not
be the day to visit the exposition to
get the benefit of ii, but would be an
enormous Sunday picnic.
The claim that perhaps has the most
influence with some of the managers
is that the gate receipts will be increas.
cd. 1t seems that the only argument
with some people is that OF dollars and
cents. For this they will sell the birth
right of citizenship and barter the
things that have given us our civiliza.
ton. 1t is questionable, however,
whether the aggregate receipts would
be increased by Sunday openings.
The exposition of 1885 at New Or
leans was the only large affair of tue
kind that was ever kept open on Sum
DAY in this country and it was finan-
cially and in other ways failure.
Many of the exhibitors would moi
run their machinery or uncover THEFT
goods OIL the Sabbath. The receipts
were smaller than on other days, and
many of the best people were driven
from its support. Mr.. Corliss, whose
great engine run the machinery al
Philadelphia in 1876, said that II the
fair opened on Sunday his engine
would 20 out.
1t may be we'll to remember thai
this is a national exposition under gov
eminent control; and is it not asking
great deal that our government
should 90 back on all the history o
the past and by one act do more Il
break down our national rest day thar
could be remedied for the next fit!
years?
Just at this time there Is q wide
spread movement in Europe to restor
Sunday as q day Of rest. AT the Pari
exposition last year there was held al
international Sunday congress and ex
Guiding the religious phase of the qnes
ton, eleven European government
were represented. There was genera
agreement that the governments O
. Europe should unite and try 10 re
store to the wOrkingmrn their res
dav. 1t would certainly be a poo
time for Americans to favor "Conti
mental Sunday" when the people Q
the continent are aiming to establish
our American rest day.
We have small GLASS Of people. j
our country who make good deal O
noise OH small capital Of brains o
character who will say this Ia anothe
attempt TO make men good by legisle
J, ton. We say Il is nothing of the kind
We only ask that the law that has pre-
tected the labOrer in his day Of res
and the christian IN his religious da
shall not now be OverthrOwn. I'll
purpose of our Sunday laws Is simpl
protection.o of the rigbts of the citizen'
we believe the managers of The expo
sition will do well to consult the wisi
es of the people who represent Amer