The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-24
SABBATH IN SCOTLAND.
Not As Strict Now As 1t Was Few
Decades Ago.

Not As Strict Now As It Was Few
Decades Ago.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.
For some time past IT has been pain
fully evident to the student of men ana
things north of the Tweed that Scotland
Is degenerating-that she is slowly but
surely falling from her high estate. Dur
ing the past few years many and wonder
full changes have occurred in The north
ern kingdom. but perhaps the most note
worthy of these is the extraordinary
change which has taken place in the OBJ
servance of the first day of the week.
When the magistrates of Glasgow few
years ago authorized the running OF the
tramway cars on Sunday it was predicted
that a terrible judgment would fall upon
that city on account of its wickelness,
and perhaps IL is due to the gloomy prog
nostications of the Sabbatarian Cassan-
dras that no other town in Scotland has
followed in the wake of Glasgow. When
the Edinburgh botanic gardens were
thrown open on Sundays another wall
went forth, but, alas! Notwithstanding
threats of judgments" the public throng
there. And, in spite of the shrieks and
denunciations of the Sabbath Observance
society, steamers laden with passengers
ply in the Firth of Forth every Sunday
during the season: coaches convey pleas
ure seekers from the town to the cQun-
-
of Scotland in all directions.
Quite lately the battle of Sunday golf
was fought and ended in victory for
the Sunday golfer, and on every hand
there are signs that the old-fashioned
Cottish 'Sawbath" has departed never
to return" most remarkable proof of
this is furnished by the plea of a deputa-.
ton which waited upon the lord provost
of Edinburgh this week. The members of
the deputation were for the most part
eminent ministers and office bearers of
the Free Church of Scotland, who in times
past were considered rigid Sabbatarians.
Some of them, indeed, are members of
the Sabbath Observance society. Yet
this deputation interviewed the lord pro-
vost in the interest of those who used TO
be considered Sabbath breakers. There
was time not very long ago when the
heinous sin of vaging or stravaiging q. e.
walking) on the Sunday was punishable
by Imprisonment in the stocks, but 1t was
in the interest of the stravaigers that the
present day Sabbatarians solicited the
lord provost to prevent golf playing on
the Braid hill on Sundays. They state dis
tinctly that they did not appear as OBJ
jectors to Sunday golf, but simply con-
tended that the hills should be left safe
and quiet for those who do not play golf
but who enjoy a ramble on Sunday. OF
verify Scotland is degeneraGng
OF course, there are still some stalwarts
who, faithful to the traditions of their
forefathers, uphold the good old Scottish
"Sawbath" as a day upon which no man
shall be seen to smile. A few of these
were gathered together in Aberdeen the
other day and endeavored to console
themselves by predicting, as they many
times before have done, the judgments
will fall upon the present sinful genera
ton of Scotsmen. The secretary of the
Sabbath alliance of Scotland, Rev. j. NJ.
Shiach, buoyed up hin self and his hear
ers with the hope that the opening of
museums and picture galleries may be
unsuccessful, but he was horror-stricken
to note that the Prince of Wales had a
yacht at the race at Hyeres on Sunday
last week. and he made the awe-inspir-
ing prediction that IF the heir expected
to sit on the throne and to outrage divine
institutions in this way IL was more like
ly, looking forward to the future that the
throne would sit on him than that he
would sit on the throne" What was
meant by this threat was not quite clear
to the audience, but looking upon II as
something very terrible, they applauded
heartily. Another clergyman denounced
as un-Christian certain ''at homes"
which he had heard had been given by
elders" on Saturday night People, he
said, should be preparing for the Lords
day." An ex-farmer, who followed the
reverend gentleman, denounced the sale
OF milk on Sunday. and told how 30 years
ago he was asked to bring milk to town
on Sunday and had refused. He would
rather have put the milk down the
burn" All his customers agreed to take
their milk on the Saturday evenings, "ex-
cept one rich lady. and she died a few
weeks afterward." But, alas the Scottish
Sabbath breakers, and they are legion,
only scott at such Judgments