Morning journal and courier., 1893-05-22
woLD,s FAIR AND SUNDAY.


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Rev. Mr.. Mason.
At the First Baptist church yesterday
morning the pastor, Rev. John Il. Mason,
spoke on ''The Worlds Fair and the Lords
Day" he chose three texts, the chief Of
which was from Matthew 20: 81, Render
therefore unto Cesar the things which are
Gao sar's and unto God the things that are
Gods"
Mr.. Mason began with history of the
whole movement in favor of Sunday open
ing, then followed an examination of the
motives that actuated the worlds fair d.
sincerity and hypocrisy which had char
soterized 80 much of the public discussion,
he continued as follows:
Let us look at the other side. An open
fair on Sunday means WHAT To begin
with, it means a breaking of faith with
the United States congress, the repre-
rentatives of this whole nation. It means
breaking of faith with multitudes of ex-
hibitors who would never have made their
exhibits had they dreamed of an open fair
on Sunday. It means a breaking of faith
with the Christian conscience of this whole
nation. That Christian conscience might
long ago have declared ''No worlds fair if
1t means the abolition of the Lords day."
but 1t is too late to make such declaration
now.
But Sunday opening means more. It
means the compulsion Of whole army of
employees to labor on the Lords day.
Much has been urged about the interests
of the working man. The fair should be
open for him. But Chicago employers tell
us that their employees will have no trouble
| in visiting the fair even without loss of
time and without breaking the Sabbath.
Moreover, If the management is 30 anxious
to help the working man, why does it not
keep the fair open every weekday
evening, when the splendor of the exhi-
bition under electricity is said to far
transcend the exhibition by day. What
the fair wants ia not so much to help the
working man as to get the working mans
dollar-or in other words to have the
workingman help it.
But Sunday opening means the ceaseless
thunder of excursion trains on all the
roads running into Chicago; and another
army of men employed on those trains 1t
means vastly increased forces on the street
railways of the city. 1t means . general
holiday in Chicago instead of a holy day.
Men have learned, even without the aid of
the Scripture, that man and beast and
machinery need one day of rest in seven;
to forego 1t is sure disaster. The thing
that more than all else is needed in Chicago
| this summer Ia one day of rest in seven.
| And the most impressive exhibit in the
| eyes of the world connected with that
| whole amazing spectacle may be the ex-
hibit of an American Sunday. One day in
the week when the wheels are still. One
day when the gates are shut. One day
whom the employees may find rest. One
day when the feverish excitement may be
allowed to cool and when the wasted ener-
gies of mind and body may renew their
strength. One day when the world shall
he reminded, that, whether 10 cares for
God or not, and whether 1t will obey him
or not, the great heart and conscience OF
the American people still recognize God
| and his law.
And right here We stumble upon one Of
the great perils of the whole enterprise
Man is to be exalted inevitably. Here are
to be shown the most magnificent achieve
ments of human skill.
Here is the human brain at its best and
noblest Here is the consummate flower
of the most advanced stage of modern civil
ization. Here is the most stupendous sg
gregstion of the results of human genius
which the world has ever SEEN High
things all! Noble trophies of the victories
of genius! But even in these there will
not be much suggestion of the highest
things. Things spiritual will be forgotten
in the presence of things material. Amid
the clangor of many tongues the higher
voices that speak from higher worlds will
portance to the highest welfare not only OF
America but of the whole human RAGS that
halt should be called oncs in seven days
That is Gods fraction, and to ignore it OF
| to change it is to invite calamity always.
Render unto Caesar the things which are
| Caesars; but do not render unto Cesar the
things that are Gods.
To America God has given amazing op-
portunities. To day he gives her the
grandest opportunity of all. To-day she
may say to the world: Il welcome the
latest and the largest and the noblest
achievements which the brain of man has
wrought. welcome the supreme triumph
| of the artisan and the Respondent creation
of the artist. But still believe in God.
Let genius be exalted If 1t will; but behind
all is God; and above all shall he be exalt-
ed"
That is what America has the chance to
say to tho world. Will she say it, Would
you like to have her say it? Will you help
her to say 1t?
Shall the world sail away from us in the
autumn m ore Christian, or shall We settle
| down more psgans I said that here was
or opportunity. There has never been a
time when We could send the swift fash of
| right or wrong around the earth's electric
| circle as we can today.
| "whether conscious or unconscious yet Human
Through its ocean sundered fbres feels the gush
Of joy or shame.''
| Words never 30 true as they are to day.
! l know not what God shall have in store
for this nation if it turns its back on him
| now. l only know that such experiment
results in tragedy to every soul and to ev-
| cry nation under heaven which dares to
| try it. There are unseen spiritual forces
at work in this world which are just as
| real as the forces of electricity or of gray
itation, which are more benefcent, which
are more terrific. And men or nations ig
| more or defy those forces to their destruc-
ton. We will not talk about any spscial
visitations of Providence, any thunder
bolts shot from heaven; we will go no far
Their than the steady inhexible play of nat
ural laws and of spiritual laws that work
just as natural laws do-and stopping
there, 1t is safe to say that the republic,
somehow, somewhere, sometime, shall suf-
fer for every sin.
But someone says: "What can we do!
What is the use in tryings" Well, we
cannot shape the policy of the worlds fair.
And know that the people whom I have
| the honor to serve need no word from a
pastor to persuade them to keep out of the
| worlds fair grounds on the Lords day.
But this we can do. we can remind our
| selves once in a while in this way, that
| Christian people need to assert their
Christian principles, and need to demand a
hearing whenever these questions come up
for settlement. The trouble with us Ameri-
cans is that we take things too easily and
good naturally, let them drift along about
| as they will; and that is why our moral
standards are gradually coming down.
More than all this, there are boys and
young men growing up in this church,
who by and by will hold positions of large
responsibility; and upon them the future
may bring just such questions as these. I
want them to know that the only thing for
a Christian man to do Is to do right; and to
know that the basis for the settlement of
moral questions is never to be found in the
avariee of any man or men.
eve see dimly in the present what is small and
Slow Of faith how weak an arm may turn the
iron helm of fate,
But the soul is still oraculor; amid the markets
din,
List the ominous stern whisper from the Delphic
They enslave their children's children who make
compromise with SIM
No man can know his own power until
he has tried to put 1t forth. In eur own