The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-25

y
counter and steal one additional yard
That is what every man does when be
breaks the Lords Sabbath. God gives US
six days out Of seven, reserviug one fol
himself, and If you will not let him have
it, il is mean beyond all computation.
Again: am opposed to this dissertation
OF the Sabbath by secular entertainments
because il IS a 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
Z the city and county Of New York any inter
lude. tragedy, comedy. opera, ballet, play,
| farce, negro mlnstelsy, negro or other dane
/ ing. or any other entertainment Of the stage,
or any part or parts therein, or any eques-
[ trian. circus, OF dramatic performance, or
I any performance OF Jugglers, acrobats, or
| rope-dancing,
Was there ever a palmer enactment
| than that Who made the law You, who
al the ballot boxes decided who should
60 TO Albany and sit in the legislature.
| You, who in any region exercise the
right of suffrage. They made the laws
for you and for your families, and now !
say that any man who attempts TO over
ride that law insults you and me and
every man who has the right Of Isuf-
/ frage.
Still further: I protest against the in
yasion of the Sabbath, because it is for
/ eign war. Now, if you heard at this mo-
ment the booming of a gun in the harbor,
or if a shell from some foreign frigate
! should drop TO your street, would you keep
1 your seats in church} You would want
! to face the foe, ana every gun that could
! be managed would be brought into use,
! and every ship that could be brought out
| Of the navy yard would swing from her
! anchorage, and the question would be de-
| decided. You do not want a foreign war
/ and yet | have to tell you that this in
vasion of Gods holy dayis a foreign war.
| AS among our own native-bOrn pOpula-
! tion there are two classes-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 bet
| ter we like it. But let not the lawless
come from other shores, expecting to
break down our Sabbath and institute in
the place Of it a foreign Sabbath.
How do you feel, We who have been
brought up amid the hills of New England
about giving up the American Sabbath?
Ye who spent your childhood under the
shadow of The Adirondacks or the Cat
skills ye who were born on the banks of
the Savannah, or Ohio, or Oregon, how
do you feel about giving up the American
Sabbathf You say: We shall not give il
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 our children forever a pure.
consecrated, Christian, American Sab
bath"
viii make comparison between the
American Sabbath, as some of you have
known it, and the Partisan Sabbath. l
speak from observation. On a Sabbath
morning | was aroused in Paris by a great
sound in the street, I said: What is
thisN" o. they said this is Sunday"
An unusual rattle of vehicles of all sorts
The voices seemed more boisterous than
on other days. People running two and
fro, with baskets or bundles, to get TO the
ran 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 seking people. Balloons fly
ing. Parrots chattering. Footballs
rolling. Peddlers hawking their knick-
knacks through the streets. Punch and
Judy shows in score of places, each one
with shouting audience. Hand organs,
cymbals, and every kind of racket, must
cal and unmusical. When the evening
came down, all the theaters were in full
blaze Of music, and full blaze of light
The winestores and saloons were thronged
with an unusual number of customers.
At even-tide | stood and watched the ex-
cursiOnists coming home, tagged out men,
women and children, a gulf-stream of
fatigue, lrrita bility, and wretchedness ;
for l should think it would take three or
four days 10 get over that miserable way
of Sundaying. 1t seemed more like an
American Fourth of July than Christian
Sabbath.
Now, in contrast, present one of the
Sabbaths in one of our best American cit
les. Holy silence coming down with the
day-dawn. Business men more deliberately
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 me-
chanical tools are not to be taken up. A
| hymn is sung. There are congratulations
and good cheer all through the house. The
street silent till l0o'clock. when there is a
regular, orderly tramp churchward.
Houses of God, vocal with thanksgiving
! for mercies received, with prayers for
| comfort, with charities for the poor.
| Rest for the body. Rest for the soul The
nerves quoted, the temples cooled, the
mind cleared, the soul strengthened and
our entire population turned out on Mon
!
| prepared for the duties of life, better
| prepared for the life that is to come
Which do you like best, the American
| Sabbath or the Partisan Sabbath? Do
| you know in what boat the Sabbath came
across the seas and landed on our shores ?
| 1t was in the "Mayfower. !" Do YOU know
/ in what boat the Sabbath will leave us,
/ II it ever goesl 1t will be in the ark
/ that floats over deluge of national de-
| struction.
Still further: protest against the in
vasion of the Lords day, because 1t
wrongs vast multitude of employees of
their rest. The play actors and actresses
| can have their rest between their engage
| ments but how about the scene-shifters.
the ballet-dancers, the call-boys, the in
! Vulnerable attendants and supernumera-
| ries of the American theaterl Where is
| their Sunday TO come from2 They are paid
| small salaries at tho best. Alas for them !
/ They appear on the stage in tensil and
/ tassel with halberds, or in gauze, whirl-
ing in toe fortunes, and they might be
! mistaken for fairies or queens but after
twelve O'Clock at night you may see them
| trudging through the streets in faded
| dresses, shivering and tired, a bundle un-
| der their arms, seeking their homes in
the garrets and cellars of the city. Now,
/ you propose TO take from thousands of
these employees throughout this country,
not only all opportunity of moral culture,
/ but all opportunity of physical rest. For
| heavens sake let the crushing Juggernaut