The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-06-24
THE SUNDAY OPENIN DE-
CISION.

CISloN.
The decision of Chief ustice
Fuller that the Worlds Fair may be
opened on Sunday. will be received
with profound disappointment by
very many earnest and conscientious
people who have either believed that
the Worlds Fair ought not to be
open on Sunday at all, or that it
ought not to be open, when such
opening involved distinct breach OF
good faith with the Government. 1t
is held by Chief Justice Fuller, that
Sunday opening violates no law.
That may be true, but it is no less
true. that there is very little essential
difference after all, between repudla-
ting an expressed, and repudiating
an implied obligation. Whatever
reason the local managers OF the fair
may have for present congratulatlon,
Justice Fuller's decision contains at
least one significant sentence, the
later Interpretation of which may
return to plague them. After recit-
ing what was the probable intention
Of Congress in voting the 81, 500, 600
to promote the fair. the Chief Justice
passed on to review the still more
extensive question OF Federal interest
in and responsibility tor the fair.
Here at least he was decidedly clear.
Brushing aside the intervening cob
webs, he boldly said that Congress
"never intended to make itself res.
ponsible for the construction of any
of the buildings except its own. or
tor any OF the work provided for by
the appropriation"
The full meaning of this decision
has only begun to draw upon the
Chicago people. If the fair should
prove financial success the country
will, in all probability, never hear of
it again. But if, on the other hand
it should turn out disastrously and
the country should be called upon to
witness the spectacle of another lob
bying committee beseiging Congress
tor another appropriation with which
to pay the local directory's debts,
then the words of the Chief Justice
would have an interest which is only
family suggested now.
The action of the members of the
Christian churches in the United
States will, since the decision be
awaited with interest. While intelli-
gent Americans regard the boycott
as un-American, still fidelity to prin-
ciple is seriously involved in this
Sunday question.
No organization OF Christians, has
yet so far as we know advocated a
plan Of demonstrating unanimous
disiavor after the fashion OF the
Striker" and if the judgment of the
more temperate shall prevail, as
seems quite likely, the matter will
simply evolve itself into a question
of private conscience with the indi-
vidual Christian. Whether the nom
attendance of church members as a
body would or would not result in
the financial failure of the fair does
not seem to us to enter into a con-
Slderation OF the case. Most prob
ably, the effect of a boycott would be
disastrous to the enterprise as
regards dollars and cents. But
there would be an element of vindic.
tiveness in such a movement scarcely
compatible with the principles of
religion. There is no doubt that
thousands of church members will,
from conscientious reasons, deprive
themselves of the pleasure and men
tai profit of visit to the Chicago
Exposition; but then there may be
many others who do not feel averse
to attending under the circumstances,
and the leading divines of every
denomination very properly do not
feel inclined to place restraint upon
their actions as personally answer
able moral agents.