Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-12
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
Protests Heard Today Agsinst Opening tn
Fair that Day.

Protests Heard Today Against Opening the
Fair that Day.
MANI DIFFERENT VIEWS on THE sUBJEcr-rHE
woMAN's CLUB OF CHICAGO WANT THE FArR
oPExEp-wksHISeroS prvISEs sPEAK--REv.
DR. SAVAGE TALKS on THE SABBATH.
The opponents Of Sunday opening Of the
worlds fair today continued their objections to
the worlds Columbian exposition against any
change in the present law forbidding Sunday
opening.
DR.. Atterberry, representing the New York
Sabbath committee, composed of business men,
put in protest from New Yorbers against Sun
day opening. Lawyer John E. Parsons wrote
that freedom Of religion and absence Of religion
we're entirely different things.
John Bigelow, formerly minister to France,
wrote that the question at issue was really
whether Sunday was 70 be hereafter regarded
as day different from other DAYS. The Chi
cago exposition was nothing more nor less
jurisprudence. Opening the fair on Sunday
would mean to the world that the great republic
OF America had eliminated in the elimination
Of the Sabbath.
BISHOP ucnsr's PROTEST.
Bishop Hurst OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church, with 9 membership of two and a
quarter million. said that church and the NJ
E. Church South, with a membership Of one and
half millions, had met in conference and taken
unanimous action against opening the fair
on Sunday. Many Of them had decided to stay
away entirely should the Sabbath be desecrated
in this national way. 1t is not cry for lib
erty but q cry for gold.
REV. DIR. M'KIM.
The Rev. DR.. McKim Of the Episcopal Church
Of Washington had been inclined to a partial
Sunday opening. but = practical examination
OF the question had satisfied him that there was
no middle ground. He appealed IN behalf of
the workingmen against seven days work =
week.
tn. PEOPLE OF CHICAGO.
DR.. Hsrrick johnson Of Chicago claimed that
the assertion Of the city council that they rep
resented Chicago was hardly justiiable. He
had no doubt the majority Of the people Of
Chicago, II a vote were taken, would
favor Sunday opening; but there are
many on the other side. He then replied
reference to the mayors assertion that Sunday
closing Is unconstitutional and that this ia q
Christian nation, he said the mayor and the
Supreme Court differed. The mayor said the
majority Of the people favored Sunday opening.
Where was the proof The Sunday closers had
Robert Belknap and Clifford Agnew Of New
York city also opposed Sunday opening.
THE woMANs CLUB.
Mrs. l. X. Boyesen, representing the woman's
Club Of Chicago, with 500 members, read .
resolution Of the club denying that all the
respectable women Of the country were opposed
to Sunday opening and demanding that the
fair be opened on Sunday.
Mrs. Remick challenged the statement that
the evangelical churches were a unit in favor of
Sunday closing. As she knew in all the churches
there was a silent minority, and sometimes a
large minority, who believe in opening
the fair Sunday. 1t required
great deal Of courage to vote in the minority
on such question, especially In the way it WAS
frequently put-asking all who believed in the
dissertation of the Sabbath and the breaking of
the fourth commandment to vote for Sunday
opening.
Mrs. Washburn replied to what she termed
the Inconsistency Of the arguments of the Sun
day closers.
Their arguments, she said, reminded her of
the polygiot American whose French friends
said he spoke beautiful English and whose
English friends said he spoke beautiful French.
She only claimed to represent few Thousands
and not millions, for modesty becomes
woman, il not a clergyman Clsughter).
Miss Anthony spoke in favor Of Sunday
opening. Sunday was as good day to do
good work as any other day, and she supposed
the fair was to do good work.
Mr.. Putnam Of San Francisco also opposed
Sunday closing.
FAVORED PARTIAL SUNDAY OPENING
The Rev. H. W. Cross, a Presbyterian minister
OF Ohio, favored partial Sunday opening The
church petitions were exceedingly delusive, for
persons voted as church members, as Christian
endeavorers, until it almost seemed as il the
principle was vote early and often.
DR.. SAVAGE en- THE sABBArH
The Rev. DR.. Savage Of Boston Unitarian
minister, asserted that this talk about desecra-
ton Of the Sabbath had nothing to stand on
in the Bible. The Fourth Commandment
simply forbade all work on one day in the week,
and Hebrew scholars said that the day was
observed by the Jews a day of joy and more
like our Thanksgiving day than anything else
Our Puritan Sunday was never known in any
country in the world until the sixteenth century.
and then was simply proper reaction against
bear batting, immortality and other improper
amusements into which the day had degen-
Grated. As to churches, ten times as many as
were in Chicago would be needed to accommo-
date the fair visitors. The interests of hu-
mainly, morals, education and even of religion
demanded that the fair be kept open as many
days as possible.
OTHER SPEAKERS.
DIR. Lewis, a Seventh Day Adventist, and Mr.
Ringgold of Baltimore spoke in favor of Sun
day opening, and DR.. Blanchard of Illinois and
the Rev. DR.. Brooks in opposition. Elliott F.
Shepard read a letter from Rev. DR.. r. s.