The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-12
NO HARM IN OPEN GATES.
Cardinal Gibbons FdVOTS Opening the
Fair Sundays.

The Lords Day Not Only Day of
Rest and Religious Observance, But
a Day on Which Innocent Recre-
alton is Allowable-Unjust TO the
Workingmen to Keep it Closed.
New York, June 1.-The World will
tomorrow publish an authorized inter-
view with Cardinal Gibbons In regard to
the proposed closing of the worlds fair
on Sunday.
To World reporter Cardinal Gibbons
said: "When the question was first
brought up gave 1t as my opinion that
1t would not be advisable to
close the fair for the entire Sunday
l favored opening it Sunday afternoons
for many good reasons, which to Catholics
are very strong and well founded. In the
first place we would not go as far as the
upholders of Puritan Sunday, much as
condemn lax observance of the day in
European countries. We believe the
Lords day to be not only day of rest
and religious observance, but day on
which innocent recreation is allowable. If
visit to the fair comes within that limit
opening of the fair to provide innocent
recreation on Sunday afternoons cannot
be considered desecratiou of the Sab
bath. Having performed the religious
duties required of them Sunday morning
Catholic people are free then TO spend the
day in such recreation as becomes Sun
day.
Moreover, In view Of the fact that
many thousands of visitors to the
fair must be of a class who
pay no respect to the religious
character of Sunday, it seems a matterof
common prudence to provide them with
means Of spending the day innocently, in
stead of leaving them to their own in
clinations and the numerous temptations
certain to be placed in their way Then
again, it is a real hardship to deprive so
many thousands of honest working people
of their only opportunity 10 see the
fair. These and other reasons lead
me to believe that the fair should
beiopen Sunday afternoon and that more
evil will result from Sunday closing than
from opening.
II have just sent paper on this matter
to the congress at Chicago of the pro-
moters of Sunday observance. In it is
printed the true Catholic view of Sunday
and tho reasons for its careful observ-
ance.
$50 long as all are agreed that one day
out of seven must be devoted to rest, and
so long as the great Christian world is
bent on making Sunday that day, it will
be a social and economic impossibility to
destroy this religious character of Sun
day or to change to another day"
Cardinal Gibbons says that he will
read paper on ''The Influence Of the
Church on Society at the parliament of
religions which is to be afeature of the
fair
Upon the question of the Anglican
archbishop Of Canterbury declining an
invitation to attend the parliament the
cardinal said
Everything depends on the point Of
view. Our bishops were invited by the
officials of the fair to present statement
of the Catholic faith at this parliament,
and the invitation was considered at a
meeting of the archbishops in New York
last fall. Various objections were made
to its acceptance, but in the end, after
amicable discussion, the prelates decided
to accept. The Catholic church is
too often presented to the world in ap-
parel which makes her repulsive to the
people. Our purpose in this and similar
instances is to tear off the garments and
let all see the church in true beauty-a
beauty sure to endear it to all lovers of
TRUTH
The attendance was about $4,000