Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-05

sentiment, for it will only exist until an
opportunity arises for its repeal"
Rev. F. R. Donehoo, pastor Of the Eighth
PRESBYTERIAN Church, who is ut least Is we'll
known as any other minister in Pittsburg,
said yesterday that he reads q Sunday news
paper himself whenever he fndx time, and
he would not think of denying the privilege
TO others. When FIRST spoken to on the sub
iect he asked what was meant by the Sun
day paper; the one printed on Monday
morning with Sunday work and containing
Sunday news, or the paper with q Sunday
date that is the result Of Saturday labor and
which gives an account of Saturdays events.
Surprised at L. h O. Impud.nce.
off either are to be suppressed, why not
the former" continued Mr.. Donehoo. 81
am surprised that there are people living in
the nineteenth century, in the latter part Of
it, at time when human minds are craving
for education as they never did before, who
would even dream that by any effort Of an
organization such as the Law and Order
Society, newspaper as great as the Sun
day DISPATCH with more than 60, 600
patrons could be forced to abandon its pub
LEGATION and once a week disappoint nearly
half million readers 1t can't be done,
and the sooner the people composing the
Law and Order Society find out the ah-
surdity of their position the better it will
he for themselves Ifthis movement ever
rises to the dignity of becoming . matter to
be placed in history, what a thing for
ridicule it will be score of years hence!
81 do not think that the public have
seriously thought that any effort of the Law
and Order Society will result in the sup-
preston of the Sunday newspaper There
is no use trying to turn the channel of ,
river and force it to flow backward. 1t is
better to utilize the current. Even with
the aid of the law of 1894 Sunday news
papers cannot be stopped, and it would be
more profitable to use them to improve
humanity than to waste energy fighting.
There are other channels into which the
Law and Order Society could turn its eff
forts, and ones that might be useful. They
overlook great evils in opposing the wishes
of the majority.
AIack of Consistency.
'I do not see the consistency in the oppo-
sition to the Sunday newspaper People
weren't made for Sunday; Sunday was pro-
vided for the people. We all believe that
events are shaped by God; that God rules
the universe; that whatever occurs is with
His knowledge; yet there are some-a very
few-who would not allow us to
read on this day what is done
the day before If we believe in
divine guidance, why it is not proper to
keep informed on what that guidance brings
about? Ignorance fosters evil. They
travel hand in hand Newspapers educate
1t therefore follows that newspapers pre-
vent evil and it is the duty of all good peo-
pie to encourage them in the work. There
are many things that appear in public prints
that should not be read, but there are no
more in the Sunday paper than in the Sat
Grdav paper, and it is no more harm to read
them on one day than on the other. I do
not believe that only religious literature
should be read on Sunday.
''lt is proper to cultivate the mind on
Sunday with general reading, and the Sum
day paper, ] think, is proper reading mat
ter. My ideal Sunday newspaper is one
that publishes all the clean news OF the day
and some family reading matter besides.
There could be little objection to it then,
and the reading of it would create . taste
for good books.
There was a time when was opposed to
SUNDAY papers, but that was when they
dealt almost exclusively with sensational
news. When Sunday papers were first
started all the crime of the week was saved
for that issue. That day has passed, how
ever. Civilization demanded something
Sensational sheets have been crowded out
and papers of more elevating tone have
taken their place. As far as the delivery
OF the papers is concerned, think there is
no more harm in it than in the delivery of
milk. There is little use in discussing the
matter, however. The Sunday paper will
be issued as long as the earth revolves, and
people will be the better for it.
Tks Character OF the Paper counts.
Rev. Morrison Byllesby, of the Emmanuel
Episcopal Church, North and Allegheny
avenues. is not biased in his views and
speaks as follows on the question: Sunday
newspapers may not be an absolute neces-
sitv, but are a pleasant convenience.
cannot see that Sunday paper
is any worse than the papers published
during the week. To my mind it is not the
dav which is hurtful, but the reading mat
teT contained in the paper. There are
many things published in the daily papers
which are not good for the people to read
at anv time, but it is SO with many of our
other publications which We read on Sum-
dav.
''The Blue Laws are not what they should
be, although think there should be laws
governing the social observance Of Sunday.
j an not of the opinion though that the
State should govern the day religiously.
The street cars are too much of a necessity
to ever do without, though would like to
have the employees get chance to worship
on Sunday, and this, 1 think, should be ar
ranged for. -
st would be the height of bigotry," said
Rev. George Hodges, of Calvary Episcopal
Church, yesterday, ''to stop the Sunday
newspapers or even to enforce the exact
letter of the old Blue Laws. My position
on the question is well known. MY news
paper congregation is the largest one have
Ii would be a drear day indeed without
street cars, railways, newspapers and the
telephones 1t would be q return to bar
barism 1 had thought the world too far
advanced to ever be hampered by such old
superstitions.
''The Blue Law people in the first place
have a wrong conception of the idea of Sun
dav. Ii was not originally intended even
as a dav for religious observance. 1t was
simply as day of rest, and the Old Testa
ment restrictions were simply made to pro-
vide for rest on that day.
The Origin of the Day.
SUNDAY was not instituted until after
the captivity in Egypt. Here was people
that had been slaves, and compelled to work
day in and day out. The Lord came to
them as people who knew what it was to be
overworked. They were now to become the |
employers of men and the owners of slaves,
and Sunday was set apart that all work |
men would be insured one day of rest out Of |
the seven. |
"When Christ came into the world he re- |
buked the rabid Blue Law people of that |
age and said Sunday was made for man. The |
Blue Law fanatics of the gospel times were |
the Scribes and the Pharisees [whom Christ |
called 'whited sepulchers They had bound |
the Sabbath down with rules until it was no |
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