The Indianapolis journal., 1893-06-20
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE,

The Rev. DR.. Rondthaler, of this city,
in sermon against Sunday opening of
the worlds fair. dwelt with strong en-
phasis on the point that it was an open
ing wedge to the entire abolition of Sun
day as day of rest. This part of his
argument dealt rather with the hygienic
than with the moral or religious aspect
of the ques ton, and was based on the
well-recognized principle that oil men,
and especially all workinRmen, should
rest from labor one day in seven. Of
the general eoundness of this position
there can be no doubt. Irrespective of
the moral or religious aspects of the
case, there can be no question that men
live longer and do more and better
work for taking at least as much as one
day of rest in seven. When revolution
ary France tried to abolish the Christian
Sunday by substituting one day of rest
in ten. psychologists found it was not
sufficient. The principle of Sunday
observance, that is, of observing one
day in seven as day of rest, is
as wise and as deep-rooted as any other
feature of the Mosaic code, and ought
to be observed more strictly than it is.
Unfortunately, the conditions and exi-
gencies of modern life are such that
this, like many other sound hygienic
principles, cannot be universally OBJ
served, but the duty of adhering to it as
closely as possible should never be lost
sight of.
DR.. Rondthaler thinks the opening of
the worlds fair on Sunday is decided
step in the direction Of doing away with
Sunday as day of rest. eff / were
laboring man." he says. al would most
vehementiy protest against an open
Sunday at the exposition on the ground
that it would most surely bring me ulti-
mately into the slavery of an open Sun
day in my own department of work"
The Doctor should have said if he were
laboring man with his present views
he would most vehemently protest, etc.
1t is evident. however, that working
men generally and labor unions through
out the country, which are officered ny
very intelligent men. do not regard the
matter in that light. They, as every
body knows, are exceedingly jealous of
any encroachment on any of their
rights, including the right to one day of
reet in seven. and if they saw any such
encroachment, or even a remote sug-
gestion of it, in Sunday open
ing of the fair they would be
very quick TO oppose it. But DR..
Rondthaler says the workingmen who
favor Sunday opening are entirely
selfish. They do not care how much
Sunday work they put on others SO they
have day of rest and recreation them
selves. '.For that privilege" says the
Doctor, "they deprive thousands of
their fellow workmen of the first-day
rest which the laws of the land grant
them. The cry of multitude of rail-
road operatives from the one hundred
roads centering in Chicago has gone up
pleading for one day in seven for rest"
Speaking after the manner of men, we
do not think this argument will hold
water. The Journal believes thore is
much more Sunday work done by Amer
lean railroads than is necessary, and
that it might be greatly lessened with
ont detriment to the roads and to the
decided benefit of their employees, but
it does not believe that Sunday opening
OF closing Of the fair will have any