Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-05-11
SABBATH QUESTION
DISCUSSED AT JOINT MEETINGS AT TIKI
WESLEY NJ. &. OdUR0H
And Fourth St. N. &. Church Last Night Inter
est!ng Address by Rev. ]. 6. Mccartney
and DR.. George.

A joint meeting of the congregations
of the Third Presbyterian and Wesley
NJ. +. Church, was held in the latter
edifice, last night, for the purpose OF
listening to addresses on the sabbath
Question" by Rev. j. G.. Mccartney,
Secretary of the American Sabbath
Union of New York, and RevS. Ash and
Afford. The congregation filled the
church, and much interest was mani
tested in the discourse.
Rev. Afford opened the meeting with
prayer, and then introduced DR.. Nc
Cartney, who opened his address by
saving THE Sabbath is the palladium
of our country's property ana
liberty. Is there danger OF losing IL?
Is there a danger of surrendering 1t to
the demands Of business and pleasure?
There are indeed many perils which
threaten our country. The very vast
ness of her domain is an element OF dan
ger: the Heterogeneous characters f.our
citizens: the attempts of the heirarcy to
control our public schools; our rapid in
crease in population; the loosening OF
the ties of marriage; the growth OF
trusts and monopOleS-all these are
perils which threaten us, but | stand
here tonight with the firm conviction,
which do not hesitate to express, that
there is no peril which can be compared
with the danger of looSing the Ameri-
can sabbath
The speaker then discussed the run
ming of railroad trains on Sunday. There
was no plea OF necessity offered for this
desecration of the Sabbath, the only
plea being one of greed. The railroad
authorities take refuge behind the
government, and say they are COM
PEELED TO carry the United States mail
on Sunday. The time will come when
the people will decide that there is no
pressing necessity FOR carrying the mail
on the Lords day. The cheap Sunday
excursions from all of our large cities
are keeping people away from the
churches and Turing them on to destruc-
ton. The Christian people Of the
country have the power, il they will
only exert it, to reduce the railroad SER
vice on Sunday at least One-half.
The Sunday paper was next discussed
by DR.. Mccartney. He pointed to the
fact that forty thousand boys stayed
away from Sabbath School, every Sun
day morning, to sell papers. He could
not understand how newspaper men,
who were prominent in church, could
boast of the circulation Of their Sunday
papers He deprecated the fact that
the people favored the Sunday paper
that it had inSinuated itself into Chris
tian homes. The Sunday newspaper
which antagonize public worship, Secu'
larizes the Lords day, and when filled
with sensational matter, is an enemy to
our Christian religion.
The open saloon was mentioned as
another form of the dissertation OF the
Lords Day. The speaker denounced it
as the greatest enemy the workingman
has, and a prolific source of crime.
Crime in Scotland, on Sunday, was
Seven-eighthS less, after the saloon was
legally abolished.
We are drifting rapidly toward con-
tinental Sunday, Many wOrkmen are
now toiling seven DAYS in week. 1t is
strange to me that laboring men do not
rise unanimously for the enforcement Of
laws preventing work on the Sabbath
day. VIII you barter the American
Sabbath for the French delusion-the
Continental,S Sabbath? The speaker closed
by detailing the origin, purpose and
growth of the American Sabbath Union.
Rev. Afford followed with brief ad-
Of Sa
servance, he said, has become a politi-
cal one. Men put these questions into
politics, so that ministers can do moth
ing for them: the Christian minister
and Christian men should follow them
right into politics. He did not believe
in bringing petty politics into religion,
but when it comes to the saloon and
Sabbath questions, the Christian pastor
is recreant TO his trust if he does not
come out squarely, put his foot down on
it and let his voice be heard in the
land. The laws Of West Virginia say
that no " ork shall be done on the Sab
bath, but they are violated here in
Wheeling every Sunday. He believed
there are enough Christians in the city
to shut up every shop and store, and
close every factory in Wheeling on the
Lords day.
Rev. Ash considered the Sabbath
question vital one. If one man has
a right to sell on Sunday, another has
the same right, and if every man has
the right, our Christian Sabbath is
gone. One of two things must happen
either the saloons and shops and pub
lie works must close on Sunday, or the
churches must close.
AT FOURTH STREET METHODIST.
At the Fourth Street Methodist
Church, last evening, there was union
gathering of three churches, the other
two being the First and United Presby-
terians. The attendance was large,
nearly every seat being taken. The pas
tor, Rev. C. w. Gushing, presided, Rev.
DIR. Mcclure, of the United Presbyter-
ian, offering prayer. Dr. II. II. George,
of Beaver Falls, assisting Rev. j. q.
Mccartney, gave the principal address
of the evening, in which he dwelt par
ticularly upon the Sunday closing move
ment, the principal object of the meet
ing being toward melting the