The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1893-01-25
CLARK PIERSON, Editor.
LAMBERTVILLE. N. ].
WEDNESDAY. JAN. 25, 1893.

In the current number of the Christian
ReVieaO, the Rev. Edward Beecher de-
clares that he is opposed to closing the
Worlds Fair on Sundays On the ground
that "ihis would expose mullitudes to sa-
loon and gambling resorts without COM
petition or resistance" This position is
sound and sensible. Bishop futile, Of
Missouri has just written a letter to a
similar effect. These eminent divines, to-
gether with a multitude of others from all
denominations, concur with Bishop Pot
Ter, of New York, in the opinion that the
best interests of morality and religion will
be subserved by opening the gates of the
great exposition on Sunday.-N. Y.
Press.
Il is not o question between the fair
and the churches, for nobody is constrain-
ed to attend the fair on Sunday. 1t is a
question between the fair and the greg-
geries, and no honest citizen, unless he be
deeply benighted, can take the side of the
groggeries. Y. Times.
This is the kind of stuff that the intelli-
gent readers of daily newspapers are be-
ing treated to. 1t naturally follows that
the editors and publishers of dailies that
issue Sunday editions favor the Sunday
opening OF the Columbus exposition.
Violating the day OF rest themselves, they
want company, so as to make the offence
more respectable. People may count on
the daily newspaper with Sunday edition
as in favor of almost any kind Of desecra-
ton of the day, including Sunday news
papers, Sunday railroad trains, Sunday
steamboat excursions, Sunday "sacred"
concerts, Sunday "sacred theatricals,
Sunday opening of libraries and art gal
leries, Sunday card parties, etc.
The idea at the base OF the pretended
argument adduced above for Sunday
opening of the Exposition is in effect that
the large mass CT patrons Of the show will
be gamblers, beer drinkers and men of
loose habits. If this is the kind OF a
crowd that is to assemble at Chicago, re-
spectacle people had better stay away.
1t is likely, however, that Sunday
crowd at the Exposition would be drawn
largely from that kind of people, and if
Chicago does not want that kind Of a
crowd, let it keep the Exposition closed
on that day.
The argument against Sunday opening
is based on the fact that this processes to
be Christian nation and Gods law for
bids it, and also on the well-cstablished
physical law that man and beast need
one days rest in seven. Any violation
of physical and moral law is sure to be
punished. and the few so-called semi
nent'' divines that argue on the line that
it is wise to permit men to steal so as to
keep them from burglary, show little
mental or moral acumen. II suggests it,
self to people not so eminent" that II
the visitors to Chicago are confronted by
the temptations of gambling dens and
whiskey saloons, the right thing 10 do is
TO wipe out these accursed traps-not to
break down the most potent barrier to
these--the Sunday day of rett from all
secular business.
1t Is possible that man might get more
moral and religious thought from visit
to the Exposition on Sunday than he
would from attending one of Bishop Pct
ter's services ; or grow more 10 grace
there than from listening to Rev. Edward
B,echer twist the moral law to say moth
ing of 'Bshop futile, of Missouri" who
is an unk nown quantity but il is just as
possible that 1t would be more wise for a
man to assume that God is wiser than
some of his professed ministers, and that
the law that he has given "Remember the
Sabbath day to keep II holy" Is given in
infinite wisdom, and the man who breaks
it, or the nation that breaks it, does so at
serious and perhaps irreparable loss.