The Newtown bee., 1892-05-20
THE BEE BUZZ.

more than eighteen hundred years ago; and was prominent topic of interest in Palestine when Christ was on the earth, even as it now is in our own land. But though an old question, it is always full of fresh interest, because it is vitally practical matter, touching the general interests of society, material, social and moral. The Sabbath day is one of the greatest hinges on which the common welfare of the world turns. Break down the Sabbath and you cripple and destroy the best office of religion the world has ever known. And when you strike out the offices of religion, law and order must give place to social and moral confusion, after which the destruct- ion of property, peace and every element of prosperity must soon follow.
 All this, experience of the world has again and again conclusively proved. The Sabbath day is not a mere experi- ment in religion, nor the remains of an ancient priestcraft and superstition which must and ought to lose it's hold on the conscience of society, but is it grand fact, and prime factor in the pro- gress and prosperity of human institut- ions. And as history repeats itself in the ebb and flow of the course of empire so this question touching period of rest and recreation and religious observance comes up again and again at certain stages, in divers phases of civilization.
 From the beginning of the Christian era to our own day, there probably has not been a civilized nation in Christen- dom that has not legislated concerning the Sabbath day. Just at this time, the question is one of peculiar interest to us. On the one hand we have the traditional Puritan Sabbath and on the other the fast encroaching European Sunday holi- day. We who were brought up in our New England homes still cherish our Puritan ideas and feelings of Sunday as day of rest, worship and other hallow- ed associations. Our Public Statues em- body still these Christian principles and protect us in the quiet enjoyments of Christian priSi eges. But the flood of foreign population which is filling our land comes in with very different thoughts and feelings about the matter. The liberty of our land is abused by those who know not or care not for our population, born and bred under the in- fiuences of the New England Sabbath have relapsed more and more from the strict Puritan standard until there is danger of going to the other extreme of laxity in the matter; and, when you have added to that the foreign idea of Sunday holiday, with license for sports and riotous pleasures, the dangers of Sabbath violation are become serious to every citizen who has at heart the social and moral welfare and safety of the community.
 Admitting that the strict Puritan ideas are not practicable nor desireabe in the changed conditions of our civilization, all the more we need to insist upon some standard that is practicable and neces- sary to the protection and best welfare of our homes and Christian institutions. The Sabbath day is a necessity and must be preserved from the abuses of the heather and the lawless. The law of the Sabbath is written in the very nature of things. Man and beast need one day of rest in seven. It is economy, health, happiness, to keep Sabbath. Society needs also and must have the moral and spiritual culture of this holy day. The question Is not Sunday or no Sunday, but how shall it be kept? Shall it be a time for quiet or time for revelry? A season for spiritual culture and rational enjoy menu or a season for carnality and dis sipation? Shall it be ordered in the in- terests of the good or to suit the desires of the bad? We have these questions to settle.
 One of the most dangerous abuses of society is the delay of do nothing pol icy in the administration of the law, when one ounce of prevention is worth ton of cure. Do nothing until obliged to and you will be obliged to do some- thing most of the time. The spirit of the law is to so protect society that the abuse will not happen. If boy is be- coming so lawless and manageable that his parents and teachers and the truant officer all fail to restrain him, why wait, until he develops into crm- inal indeed, before any effort is made to reform him? Would it not be the great CT kindness, to put him under the school ing of the State at once?
 Wanted, vigorous young men and maidens who desire to be educated to live on farms. They shall have such scientific and agricultural schooling as shall fit them to marry and bring up children and to produce a good, gener- ous living on New England farms. They shall be taught how to breed fowls and horses and cattle and to cultivate the best crops of fruits, grains and vege- tables and all that is necessary to main- tain thrifty and happy country homes. There is no doubt that, for the right parties, the life of the scientific farmer, in our good old New England towns, is the best and happiest life to live.-[O. o. Wright.