Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-27
OPEN ITON SUNDAY.
BISHOP POTTERS BOLD ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
OF OPENING
The Worlds Fair on the Sabbath Day-"Shut
Other Doors First Says the Prslate-Whsn
Men Learn 20 Recognize It's Meanings and It's
Uses We Shall Gei a Good Sunday.

The people Of the United States have
not been permitted TO suffer for want o!
opiniOns, or for want Of diversity or
opinions concerning the opening o.
closing of the Worlds Fair on Sunday.
From almost every pulpit, every saloon,
every editorial sanctum and every "Old
Subscriber" who rejOices 70 leip the
editor fiu his paper, we have had opin-
ions and opinions. Yes, and az last the
COMMISSIONED Record has been charged
with them, and the question has been 10
q manner settled. But for all this one
of the most remarkable, not TO say
sensational, papers 70 be published 10
the interesting October number OF the
Forum will relate co this much mOOted
question, a paper entitled, sunday and
the Columbian Exposition by Bishop
H. e. Potter.
The mere unamplifed assertion that
ttis distinguished ChurChman, speaking
with that authority which accompanies
his bizh and digniied Office, prOuOunces
in favor OF opening the Exposition on
Sunday would of itself create no iucon-
siderable Stiv. But the reasons he gives
for his opinion, involving, as they Incl
dentally DO. the whole question of sun
day observance, may be expected TO
provoke discussion which will outlaSt
the proverbial month of Sundays.
As might be expected of Bishop Pot
ter, he will not shirk any jot OF reSpOn-
sibjlity for his opinion In this matter.
He will not urge that the people OF the
United States, or % majority OF them,
desire TO have the Exposition opened on
Sunday and that therefore it should be
opened. Indeed, be will take precise
ly the opposite ground. he will
assert that "the action Of the Congress
OF the United States in the matter OF
the opening of the exposition at Chica-
60 was probably expressive Of the SEN
timent Of the majority OF those whom
Congress represents"
A STRONG ARGUMENT.
Nor viii he stop with mere assertion,
but viii argue the point az length aud
make a strong case in favor of the as
sertiOn that the real sentiment of Amer
lea is in favor of closing the Exposition
on Sunday.
"People who live in cities, and espec-
tally those who live in cities of which
the population Is largely or consider
ably foreign, are disposed, he will say,
"tO believe that of late years decided
change of sentiment has taken
place as 90 the mode OF the 90
servance Of Sunday and In favor OF
the relaxation of those legal arestric-
tions by means Of which il is supposed
TO be protected. TO cities this is un-
doubtedly true. Two causes have CO.
operated, whether In New York, BOs-
ton, Chicago or in ether communities,
OF which these are more or less typical,
70 bring about such a change. One OF
these has been the large immigration of
those from other lands 10 whom the
American idea of Sunday is at once unln-
telliglble and distasteful. The other
cause has been the usage and exam pie
of people claiming social precedence,
who, whether from social preference OF
the influence Of foreign customs, have
chosen 20 disregard the traditions To
which they were Durtured.
"But these, after all, are not nearly
so representative of the American senti-
ment concerning Sunday asis commonly
supposed. There are, indeed, parts OF
the country where, as TO New Orleans,
Sunday usages have always been more
European than American; aud there are
probably no large towns where the
Itricter laws OF earlier days could be re-
enacted, or, If unrepealed, could be en-
forced. There has been, in fact, no
more significant illustration of the i'm
2otence of legislation, apart from the
sustaining power of public sentiment,
lhan in this connection. But the cities
IRE not the country, nor may we gem
sralize hastily from the former to the
latter"
He viii cite the fact that the great
Convention OF the Society of Christian
EndeavOr held not long ago in New
York aud attended by 10000 delegates
bad but one object, so far as any partic-
u.ar line of action was concerned, and
that was the closing Of the Worlds
Fair on Sunday.