The Washington times., 1894-06-18
CLOSED DOORS ON SUNDAYS
Rev. DR.. Easton Opposes the Opening
Of Public Buildings.
UNNECESSARY LABOR
Blessings Of Christian ssbbath-Soms Must
Work 30 Others Nay Play-ssven Days
Toll for six Days wagss-Drsaksnnss
and Dissipation the End.

-~eDy .~~
the workingman will have to work seven DAYS
for six days wages" said DR.. Easton, Of the
Eastern Presbyterian church, In his sermon
last night on "Our Public Buildings; Should
They Be Opened on Sunday"
'In the discussion Of the Sunday question, >
said DR.. Easton, "two preliminary thoughts
suggest themselves; first. that this city carries
with It q distinctly national character, and
whatever may be the nature Of the manage
ment OF our public exhibits hero Il bears q
moral aspect to our nation.
"The opening Of the public buildings, It is
said, is essential to the proper entertainment
Of all foreign visitors. The laws Of interna-
tionsl hospitality demand that we throw open
the doors Of our public buildings for their In
spectton. At home Sunday Is their weekly
holiday, when the entire population surrender
with total self abandonment to the amuse-
ments Of the passing hour. Rob them here
OF Sunday recreation. 1t fs said, and we are
guilty of objectionable discourtesy.
"They know nothing Of the blessings of .
Christian Sabbath, but shall we therefore
permit them to dictate to US that during their
presence On our shores we shall f0rego these
blessings? They know perfectly we'll that
bath-keeping nations Of the human family,
and they will no more expect the abolition Of
the weekly day Of rest and the opening OF our
public buildings here in Washington than
they do at London.
"If We seek to curry favor with visitors
either from sections Of our own land or with
foreign nationalities by abolition Of our
usages and customs they will despise Us for
our spirit OF timid toadyism.
"Our own working men and department
clerks can visit these places only one day In
the week, but II their employers give them q
portion Of Saturday to visit these places the
problem is solved as far as they are con-
cerned.
"Of course all labor cannot be suspended on
Sunday, but would have all unnecessary
labor done away with on that day. It does
not follow that because the first day Of the
week must not be made q working day, there
fore 1t must be converted even for the work
ing man into day Of purely secular amuse-
ment. and every facility provided for the
qualification Of his tastes.
THE LESS MUST GIVE wAY.
"a quarter million of people may desire 10
enjoy certain recreation, but II their enjoy
ment disturbs the peace Of million that rec
reation must be refused them. The less must
give way before the higher desires Of the
greater. This Is the simple proposition, in q
nutshell, ofthings regarding the Sunday OPEN
ing OF our public buildings.
Great claims are put forward Of the work
ing classes enjoying that form OF entertain
ment on Sundays. It is wholly forgotten
that the allowance Of these claims must
necessarily encroach on the rights OF many
others who over and above their individual
liberties have Gods word upon their side.
For in order that visitors may see all that
can be seen there must be an increased force
of employees at work who are worn out with
toll of the week preceding-special watch
men. officials, servants, workmen must be on
hand in the interests of good order and to
display what is contained in the buildings.
Some chiefs OF divisions must be on hand to
give information, and others to protect from
injury what is presented for public admira-
ton.
"Now have all these men no right to rest one
day in the seven? DO they not need the Sab
bath as surely as any Of the classes for whom
sympathy is expressed, or the visitors at the
Capitol from other lands or our own country.
Nor is this all. Turn the Lords day at the
Capitol of the nation into mere holiday for
amusement, sight seeing and pleasure and
what becomes of the just and proper rights of
the thousands of christian men and women in
the city to whom the weekly Sabbath is Il
peaceful holy calm.
sELF-coNsTITUrED CHAMPIONS.
"what right have the visitors to this city or
even the working classes or their self-consti-
tuted champions to convert this Sabbath into
a day of pleasure, thought with discordant
din and unholy turmoil?
Zone word TO the working man. Preserve
your Sabbath if you want protection from
white slavery. Does not every son of toll
know that the tendency is the reduction of
wages-tbat grasping capitalists and cor
poraticns are even scheming to reduce the
pay OF labor or obtain the largest amount Of
labor for the least pay?
Let workingmen throw down the bars and
plead for the violation of the Sabbath open
up your art galleries and public buildings
and you will have to give seven days toll for
six davs' wages. Do not thus surrender
your sabba,hs. but defend the sanctity Of
Gods day and hold it intact as your heritage,
and your chiliren's. and your ehildren's chill
dren-a heritage once lost that newer can be
recalled
Turn Sunday into mere public holiday.
shorn of all religious sanctions and beginning
in seemingly innocent visits to art galleries
and sightseeing in public buildings, and the
inevitable result will be that thousands will
end in drunkenness and dissipation. Abolish
the day Of rest here and its abolition becomes
a precedent to be quoted elsewhere. and hence
the evil will be widespread.
Further, II one is excluded from the de-
partments on Sunday. so is another as well,
and no injustice can he claimed from any di-
rection. And in conclusion remember Gods
words: Them that honor me will honor,
and they that despise me shall be lightly
esteemed