St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-29
arguments for and Against
Opening Them Sunday
Heard Last Night.
Eminent Congregationalists
Discuss Both Sides Of the
Question.
SWindlers Beat g Noreros 5
Man Out Of Four Hum
dred Dollars.
Women's Congress Opened
More Election Contests
Filed Yesterday.

There was an interesting meeting OF
the Minnesota Congregational club in
the chapel of the Plymouth church last
night. The meeting took the form of
debating class, the subject under dis
cussion being Reasons For and Against
Opening the Worlds Columbian EXPOSE
ton Oh Sunday for Some Purposes"
Previous to opening the meeting supper
was served by the ladies OF the church.
The discussion was opened by William
S. Pattee, dean of the law school of the
state university. He was on the affirm
alive side, in favor of having the fair
opened Sunday for some purposes. lie
made the best argument OF the evening,
and was ably seconded by L. D. Mer-
vim. To an outsider it appeared that
these gentlemen had far the best OF the
argument, for the reason that they In
terjected great deal of logic into their
remarks and spoke for the opening Of
the fair Sunday from the standpoint OF
men who had given the matter consid-
cradle thought and who were able to
look at matters with a mind unbiased
by religion or SeculariSm.
Dean Pattee said it was no ones de-
sire that the exposition should run on
Sunday the same as it did during the
week. They merely wanted it run for
some purposes. No machinery would
be i'll operation and no business Of any
kind would be transacted. Everybody,
he. said, believed in the American Sab
BATH and believed it should be
perpetuated and guarded against
invasion by foreign customs.
This American Sunday was COM
posed of two elements, a rest element
and worship element. 1t wassnot only
the duty of the people to show in this
exposition the spiritual side of this
American Sabbath but the intellectual.
1t was customary to exhibit the educa-
tiOnal and art institutions of the cOun"
try on the Sabbath, and Dean Pattee
could see no reason why it should not
be done at the exposition.
He could not see where Christianity
would be bettered by the closing OF the
gates of the exposition, for by so doing
only one-half of this American Sabbath
would be made apparent. Merchants
and manufacturers closed their places
of business on the Sabbath, so there
tional in the closing of the eXpoSi
ton by the religious people. By
merely showing one-half of the
American Sabbath, but one-half
of the commandment. Remember the
Sabbath day TO keep 1t holy" would be
eXemplifed. Throw the doors wide
open, stop all machinery. remove all
the evidences of trade from the booths,
and let the silence of the place show the
world that the American people believe
in day of rest. Establish places where
religious meetings and sacred concerts
can be held, and let the most learned
and gOdly men of the time preach to the
people, and i'll that manner tell the peo-
pie what the Sabbath day is and what
the commandment means.
Ii. III. Hart, secretary of the state
board of corrections and charities, was
the speaker who followed Dean Pattee.
He spoke on the negative side, and in
beginning assured the audience he did
not think it necessary for him to say
much. for the reason that the preceding
speaker had advanced no good argu-
ment why the exposition should be kept
open. The audience, he was sure, could
not but feel that the negative side
of the question was the right one. The
Chicago people, said Secretary Hart,
did not want the grounds OF the eXpOsi-
ton kept open for the reasons advanced
by Dean Pattee. There was no milk OF
human kindness in their hearts. Their
motives were selfish, and all they want
ed was the money. They wanted the
religious people of the country to 90
into partnership with them for that rea-
son. Strangers did not need to go to the
exposition grounds to hear sermons, for
there were plenty of churches in Chi
cagO to accommodate them all.
4ort fhOt, AD
that it would be impossible to keep the
proposed. 1t would be kept open in the
interest of the saloonkeepers and the
bad men in general. The hotelkeepers
around the country who were securing
names to petition to keep the affair
open, were not only hotelkeeperS but
saloOnkeepers. 1t was because they
were saoonkeepers they were so anX-
ious TO have it kept open.
Mr.. Mervln'S speech, in support of
the views promulgated by Dean Pattee,
held that Christ violated the Jewish
Sabbath in much more fragrant man.
ner than would the American people in
keeping the worlds fair open on Sun
day violate the present laws of the
present religion. AS Christ interpreted
the Jewish Sabbath, so should the
AintTlCdu people Interpret IHelrS.
Instead of standing like Pharisees
the Christian people should be the one
to throw wide the gates and so aid in
uplifting the mind and showing the kim
ship between the mind human and the
mind divine. In concluding his argu-
ment Mr.. Erwin thought there could be
no better way to demonstrate that the
Sabbath was made tor man and not man
for the Sabbath, than to open the gates
of the exposition on Sunday.
d. G. Bell closed the formal argument,
He seconded Secretary Hart in the alb
sence of r. d. Russell. He was. very
much afraid the souls Of the country
would be placed in jeopardy if the fair
was opened on Sunday, and conjured
his audience not to think of it for
single moment. The advocates of the
plan might be sincere, he said, but
the Chicago directorate was not.
The directors were out for
the mighty dollar and had no
thought of the peoples souls. No COM
promise must be made with them, for
by doing so the curse of the European
Sabbath would be introduced. This
would be terrible, and in the interest of
humanity and religion the gates must
be kept tighter than wedge.
At the close of the formal discussion
the question was thrown open to argu-
ment by any one who CHI ose to tackle