Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-06-29

me OF my wages IL ne got cnance.
Suppose you were poor, and you came
to dry goods merchant and asked for
some cloth for garments, and he should
say, TN give you six yards" and
while he was off from the counter and
binding up the six yards You should go
behind the counter and steal one addi-
tional yard. That is what every man
does when he breaks the Lord Sabbath.
God gives US six days out Of seven, re-
serving one for himself, and if you will
not let him have it, it is mean beyond
all computation.
Again, 1 am opposed to this desecra-
ton of the Sabbath by secular entertain
ments because it is war on the statutes
of most of the states. The law in New
York state says;
1T shall not be lawful to exhibit on
the first day of the week, commonly
called Sunday, to the public in any
building, garden, grounds, concert room
or other room or place within the city
and county Of New York, any inter
lude, tragedy, comedy, opera, ballet
play, farce, negro minstrelsy, negro or
other dancing, or any other entertain
ment of the stage, or any part or parts
therein, or any equestrian, circus or
dramatic performance, or any perform
ance of jugglers, acrobats or rope dane
ing"
Was there ever a palmer enactment
than that? Who made the law? You
who at the ballot boxes decided who
should 60 to Albany and sit in the leg
islature; you who in any region exer-
else the right Of suffrage. They made
the law for you and for your families,
and now l say that any man who at
tempts to override that law insults you
and me and every man who has the
right Of suffrage.
A Foreign War.
Still further, l protest against the in
vasion of the Sabbath because it is a
foreign war. Now, if you heard at this
moment the booming Of a gun in the
harbor, or if a shell from some foreign
frigate should drop into your street,
would you keep your seats in church?
You would want to face the foe, and
every gun that could be managed would
be brought into use and every ship that
could be brought ont Of the navy yard
would swing from her anchorage, and
the question would be decided You
do not want a foreign war, and yet
have to tell you that this invasion Of
Gods holy day is a foreign war.
AS among our own native born pOpu-
lation there are two classcs-the good
and the bad-so it is with the people
who come from other shores-there are
the law abiding and the lawless. The
former are welcome here. The more Of
them the better we like it. But let not
the lawless come from other shores ex-
pecting to break down our Sabbath and
institute in the place of it foreign
Sabbath.
How do you feel, ye who have been
brought up amid the hills Of New Eng
land, about giving up the American Sab
bath? Ye who spent your childhood un-
der the shadow Of the Adirondacks or
the Catskills, We who were born on the
banks of the Savannah or Ohio or Ore
gon, how do you feel about giving up
the American Sabbath? You say: 1--WE
shall not give it up. We mean to defend
it as long as there is left any strength
in our arm or blood in our heart Do
not bring your Spanish Sabbath here.
Do not bring your Italian Sabbath here.
Do not bring your French Sabbath here.
Do not bring your foreign Sabbath here.
1t shall be for us and for our children
forever a pure, consecrated, Christian,
American Sabbath
Twill make a comparison between the
American Sabbath as some Of you have
known it, and the Partisan Sabbath. l
speak from observation. On a Sabbath
morning l was aroused in Paris by
great sound in the street Isaid, What
is this" "Oh, " they said, this is Sun
day" An unusual rattle of vehicles Of
all sorts. Thevoices seemed more bolster
Gus than on other days People running
to and fro with baskets or bundles, TO
get to the rail trains or gardens. 1t
seemed as if all the vehicles in Paris, of
whatever sort, had turned out for the
holiday. The Champs Elysees one great
mob Of pleasure seeking people. Bal
looms flying Parrots chattering. Foot
balls rolling. Peddlers hawking their
knickknacks through the streets. Punch
and Judy shows in a score Of places
each one with a shouting audience
Hand organs, cymbals and every kind
of racket, musical and unmusical
When the evening came down, all the
theaters were in full blaze Of music
and full blaze Of light. The wine
stores and saloons were thronged with
an unusual number Of customers. At
eventide 1 stood and watched the
excursionists coming home, tagged out
men, women and children, gulf stream
of fatigue, irritability and wretched-
ness, for / should think it would take
three OF four days to get over that mis-
cradle way Of Sundaying. 1t seemed
moro like an American Fourth Of July
than Christian Sabbath.
The Puritanic Sabbath.
Now, in contrast, present one Of the
Sabbaths in one of our best American
cities. Holy silence coming down with
the day dawn. Business men more de-
liberately looking into the faces of their
children and talking to them about
their present and future welfare. Men
sit longer at the table in the morning
because the stores are not to be opened,
and the mechanical tools are not to be
taken up. a hymn is sung. There are
congratulations and good cheer all
through the house. The street silent
until 10 O'Clock, when there is a regu-
lar, orderly tramp churchward- Houses
of God, vocal with thanksgiving for
mercies received, with prayer for COM
fort, with charities for the poor. Rest