The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-06-29

ton of the Sabbath by secular enter
tainments, because it 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 the
city and county of New York, any in
terlude, 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 of jugglers,
acrobats, or rope dancing
| Was there ever palmer enactment
than that? Who made the law? You,
who at the ballot boxes decided who
should go to Albany and sit in the leg
islature. You. who in any region ex-
ercise the right of suffrage. They
made the law for you and for your
families, and now l say that any man
who attempts to override that law in
suits you and me and every man who
has the right of suffrags.
Still further: l protest against the
invasion 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
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 out of the
navy yard would swing from her an
chorage, and the question would be
decided. You do not want a foreign
war, and yet L have to tell you that
| this invasion of Gods holy day is for
| eign war.
As among our own native-born pop
ulation there are two classes-the good
and the bad; so it is with the people
| who come from other shOres-there are
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
expecting to break down our Sabbath,
and institute in the place of it for
eign Sabbath.
How do you feel. We who have been
brought up amid the hills of New En-
gland, about giving up the American
Sabbath? Ye who spent your child
hood under the shadows of the Adiron-
dacks or the Catskills; We who were
born on the banks of the Savannah, or
Ohio, or Oregon. how do you feel about
giving up the American Sabbath? You
say: I'VE shall not give it up. We
mean to defend it as long as there is
left any strength in our arms, or blood
in our heart! Do not bring your Span
ish 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 Ameri-
can Sabbath.
l will make a comparison between
the American Sabbath, as some of you
have known it, and the Partisan Sab
bath. l speak from observation. On
a Sabbath morning L was aroused in
Paris by great sound in the streets.
1 said: what is this?'' So" they
said, ''this is Sunday" An unusual
rattle of vehicles of all sorts. The
voices seemed more boisterous 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 We
hicles in Paris, of whatever sort, had
turned out for the holiday. The
Champs Elysees' one great mob of
pleasure-seeking people. Balloons fly
ing. Parrots chattering. Footballs
rolling. Peddlers hawking their knick-
knacls through the streets. Punch
and Judy shows in a score of places,
each one with shouting audience.
Hand organs, eymbals, 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. 1t |
seemed more like an American Fourth |
of July than Christian Sabbath.
Now. in contrast. Ipresent one of the |
Sabbaths in one of our best American |
cities. Holy silence coming down with |
the dawn. Business men more DELHI !
erately looking into the faces of their |
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
the house. The street silent |
until 10 o'clock, when there is regular,
orderly tramp churchward. Houses of
God, vocal with thanksgiving for mer-
cies received, with prayer for comfort,
with charities for the poor. Rest for
the body. Rest for the soul. The
nerves quieted, the temples cooled, the
mind cleared, the soul strengthened
and our entire population turned out on
Monday morning ten years younger,
better prepared for the duties of this
life, better prepared for the life that is
TO come.
Which do you like the best, the Amer
can 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 Mayfiower. Do
vou know in what boat the Sabbath
will leave us, if it ever goes? 1t will
be in the ark that floats over a deluge