The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-13
BIBBI1H DESIGNATION.
l|Fon6 noTsment to Prevent Sabbath
Breaking at Shore Resorts.
SUNDAY EXCURSIONS NOT MEANT,
mt the Disgraceful Abuse of the sabbath
nay Must he stopped-what Bishop
Clark and Others Have to Say About
che nIovemcnt-Names OF tho signers.

There are some gentlemen In this city
NJ who are determined to prevent and put
Va = stop to present Sunday desecra ton.
v They are men prominent among th Q
NJ clergy of ali denominations, business
and professional men. They have drawn
II up petition setting forth the evils OF
' she Sunday shore resorts and winding
up with request to the town councils
OF the various towns In which these
offending shore resorts are, that the law
be enforced
They have succeeded in having the pc
tit1on signed by 700 or more names OF
\ prominent men of Providence and towns
4 Of the state.
To begin at the beginning OF this move
: ment 10 may be said that certain minis
\ ters or the gospel near one of these re-
sorts learned that grog shop was to be
built in the vicinity of his church, or on
the way TO it. He became indignant and
learning the ins and outs or the Sunday
shows and the Sabbath ball games, at
once decided that here was chance for
much needed reform crusade. lie ac-
oordingly brought the subject before
other clergymen and as a result the tol-
lowing petition was drawn up and
copy sent to men in the state with an
accompanying note explaining the move
ment and requesting signature:
The Petition Against Sunday Dissertation
WHEREAS. During last summer at some OF the
shore resorts along the Providence river and else
whore in the state. baseball games. theatrical
hibitIons. wild west shows, and other perform,
for profit. In open violation OF the laws OF Rhode
WHEREAS. intoxicating liquor was sold in abund-
nnce upon many OF the excursion steamers and at
many Of these shore resorts during the summer
WHEREAS. These VIOLATIONS OF the state laws
pe % 70 snSnsr s sn
our citizens. and THESE shore resorts thereby be-
Into ways OF dissipation ana vice; and ''''''
wnEEsAs suca M unlawful conduct and proceed
taton far and wide; and
WHEREAS such conduct and proceedings are
distastsful and offensive TO the great ass OF oral
and law abiding people OF this state. and are not
violation OF all law but are subversive OF alt those
sacred traditions and principles upon which this
nation WAS founded, and. and TO which she owes
much OF her marvellous prosperity under the
guidance OF Almighty Cod and
special enforcement of such laws as would lead to
however desirable such enforcement might be; '"''
TnEEEroRE. We. the UNDERSIGNED. ministers Of
Rhode Island, desiring to prevent the desecration
Of tho Lords Day, and 20 hand IL down involate TO
sdoP%sn oi Providence and pdi the town coancs s Of
East Providence, harrington. Cranston aNi War.
countles that They will specia and extraordl--
nsry 10 prevent % repetition OF the ao9ye
coming season and tho same your humble petition
THOMAS MARCH CLARK.
MILAN Shape CHASE.
HENRY BAssETT.
Providence r. l.. May co. 1898.
1t will be seen that the petition is
headed by the name of Bishop Thomas
Clark, who is known as man OF broad
and liberal views.
Bishop Clark's Views.
The bishop was seen last night by q
News reporter. to whom he said
This movement was started among
the clergy and has extended into the
ranks OF the best known men in busi-
ness and the professions. 1t is intended
20 have the outrageous proceedings at
certain shore resorts on the Sabbath,
put a stop to. / mean by that the
dancing, the theatrical shows. wild west,
shows, nS merry go-rounds s,s baseball games
Knows Is practiced to such an exten:
that nobody can 60 to such place with |
out either being insulted or becoming |
disgusted. 1t didn't use to be soft is
only of late years that the resorts have
become 30 indecent.
We do not intend to stop nor do we |
discuss the Sunday excursion, but pro- |
test against the shameful disregard for |
the Sabbath and for the laws of this |
state, which are violated fagrantly |
every Sabbath at these places We in-
tend to ask the officials and authorities
20 enforce the laws only.
II do not believe ia the Puritan Sab
BATH but there Is an abuse which do |
not believe in. And that is this abuse l |
have spoken of to you. The petition will |
be presented to the town councils and
hearing asked for. Ii that is granted |
xIx1.xx
dence and the town itself will appear
and plead for better enforcement
The promoters intend To present the
petition at once and are confident of sue
cess
Who the signcrs Are.
The signers of the petition are promi
nent men including the following:
Thomas March Clark. bishop OF Rhode
Islaud; Mathew Harkins. bishop of
Providence; S. o. Benton, presiding
elder, Providence. district Rev. Daniel
Henshaw, Il. Benjamin Andrews. Angus
tine Jones, Postmaster Charlie. Ii.
George. ID. l.. ID. Granger, John McAus-
land, Robert IL. l. Goddard, William |
Goddard, George G. Nightingale. jr.,
Dutee Wilcox, Rev. e. A. l.. Richards,
Horace 0. TarbelI Rev. Francis A. Hor-
ton, Rev. Henry l. Cushman, Rev. Will
liam Sheafe Chase, Rev. Henry. Bassett,
Rev. George McC. Fiske, Rev. Charles
r. Preston, William 4. Nicholson.
Amos Z. Barstow. George w. Stafford,
George 4. Barstow. Lucien Sharpe, viii
liam A. Spicer, Joshua NJ. Alderman, L.
u. Bassett, John G. Budlong, M. d.,
Rev. Henry IL King, Henry l.. Greene,
Orray Taft, l. B. Mason. Anthony Com
stock, II. s. Conant, Jules Jordan, n. B.
6prague. L. A. Tillinghast. Olin Hill,
John M. Dean, Henry Tilden.
Names OF prominent men in Lonsdale.
Manon. Burrillville, Woonsocket, Eos
ter, North Scituate. South Scituate.
Chcpachet, harrington, Warren. Tiyer.
on. Warwick. Westerly. Cranston, East
providence, Pawtucket, Smithheld.
Coventry, East Greenwich, North Kings.
towns Carolina are also added to the list.
Secretary Bassett Speaks
Rev. Henry Bassett. who is the secre-
tary OF the movement, said last eveainp
that there was no difficulty In getting
signers to the petition, and that IL woul d
have been just as easy to have gotten
5Us0OO as 200. But IL was inte aded to |
only have a few representative men. Mr..
Bassett added that the movement had |