Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-01-23
THE CONTINENTAL SUNDAY.
Present Status of the sunday Ques-
tion In France and Germany, with
n Glance nj Recent Reforms.

n Glance nj Recent Reforms.
PARIs, Jan. 1.
To the EDITOR OF the JOURNAL AID CoURIEa:
The Sunday question is almost ss live a
topic in leading Europssn nations as 1t has
been for come time in the United STATES
But over here the agitation and trend are
decidedly favorable to n stricter Observance
Of that day, whereas the clamor of large
classes in our mixed American population
is for changes in the opposite direction.
Viewing the day solely In its civil aspect ss
q day OF rest, the difference between Eu-
rope and America seems TO be that on this
side of The Atlantic there Is an effort to re-
alizs the very conditions which IN the 9TH
er side are in danger of being wsntonly
tendencies that, assuming their indefinite
continuance, it is not impossible to imag-
inc time when Sunday will find In Euro
pean lands its most jealous champions,
and In America state of things the pre-
else counterpart of what has seemsd to the
American mind, as we have observed it in
others, sn example to be deprecated and
Stunned.
This new putting of the status of Sun
day In Europe will awaken surprise in
many quarters, and to those who are igno-
rant of the latest developments over here
1t will be go much of novelty that they
will hardly be able to credit it. The aver
age American, we venture to believe,
thinks of Sunday on the continent as
hopeless csuse, day seculsrized quite be-
yond remedy, an institution with no friends
to fight for 1t, and with scarcely enough
vitality in it to provoke diecussion. We
even suspec. that this view is held in a
mild form by not few who have had the
advantage of continental travel. The
Americans who visit Europe are here usu
ally only rs sightseers. With rare excep-
tione they scarcely ever inquire about in
stitutions and laws, seldom penetrate be-
meath the surface of things, and as for the
Sabbath, it is notorious that very many
American tourists seem 30 fully convinced
that nobody over here cares for 1t, that
| they cease very soon to show any regard
for it themselves. Spite of all, however,
there is such thing as Sabbath Observance
even on the continent of Europe, and it
will interest and crafty the better class of
your readers-especislly the working
classic be assured, by one who has in
vestigated the subject, thst in France and
Germany the day is SO mnch better regard
ed than 1t used to be- as to afford reasona-
BILE hops that it will become eventually, If
not a strictly religious holiday, at least
day on which all business and labor will
be suspended.
In Berlin at the time We writs the San
day question is the question of tha hour
One thing which shows this is the zeal Of
those who stand up for the old order Of
things. In his lecture at the university a
few days ago Professor Won TreitechIe,
the great Prussian historian, digressed
from his theme to say, with pronounced
emphasis, "We don't want the American
Sunday; We are Patisfed with the German
Sunday" Undoubtedly many of the peo-
pie are satisfied; but some are not, and
| this is notably the case with those to
whom the German Sunday has been here.
tofore day of toll, with nothing to dis
| tinguish 1t from other days. Not only are
the latter dissatisfied with the German
Sunday, but their complaints have found
potential expression, and have been inoor-
| porated within recent months into q law
| of the Reiohstsg.
This law makes long strides toward the
prohibition in Germany of all Sunday Ia
Dor. It affects factories, workshops. Of
fees, stores and almost every other place
either Of manufacture or merchandise. In
many departments Sunday labor must be