New-York tribune., 1896-02-03
A PLEA FOR SUNDAY CLOSING.
AN EXPRESSION OF OPINION FROM MI
BER OF THE WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN
TEMPERANCE UNION.

Ata meeting OF the Women s Christian Temperance
Union Of Kings County held recently In BrooH'sn
Mrs T G. Bergen presented an interesting paper !"
favor of the Sunday closing Of saloons IN part '"e
paper IS as follows:
Let me quote from an editorial which appeareu I
a New York paper a few years ago: 49,, .oioor
IT is ndspuiabe that the opening G 9 be .ne enteTIng
the first day Of the week would Te az nt has been
observed long in both this country ana m manv
Years before the theatres also would be open ana @ by
the beginning Of the next century Suhday ~ nIs"e
would be opened Shopkeepers would not be able 10
resist the temptations oHe"ed by the houa' 'hii h
he churches might suffer from the increased secu
mn,nie Of New. York arc irresponsible their appeal
mat such an innovation would deprive great num- mum,
bcrs OF aborers OF their one day OF rest III t ~
sunday OF France and Germany. Of course IL WIN De
day Of labor To something Ike the same eN'rm. ny
nU% s M Of people viii work the week through
their greed or their poverty preventing tnem ''o'"
And is this the condition Of things that the press
OF to-day demanding when in issue after isss =,
is rxertng ts tremendous influence to secure What
ar, termed more liberal" Sunday laws? Wnat
would so-caed liberal Sunday aws mean ,2 i9a ti''
land? What have they done for other countries
TIE EXAMPLE OF EUROPE.
Turn to Spain. the land Of Sunday bull fights
few centuries ago Spain dictated terms 10 the
Powers of Europe. Now the attempt to conquer
lttle Cuba has drained her OF her army. navy ana
treasury.
Look at Sabbathless Italy. the land OF pauper.s'h
and the stietto At 50 low an ebb - moianty
that statistics show y per cent OF tho cniinre"
born in Rome are born out OF wedlock
Despotsm may crush the outward demonstrauon
Of n.llsm IN Russ a, but that great empire -
peIroated with H. Tie ration tina, does not give
10 its working classes the day m which tney can can
forget that tley are toners ana remember tha'
thy ar - sowing the seeds OK revolution
ana WI some t.rne reap a pleneous haryest and
What OF Germany, with It's sunday saloons ana
beer gardens, where only per cent OF the people
attend church? Professor Scott, OF tie Ch.cago
IN that country once wrote: Germany s probably
sinking into inmoral.ty and crime more rapidly
than any other nation IN Europe In zen yeabbs ar
people ar" fast becom ng 5otdcn win their en- I'M
moderate beer-drinkng." Has the German sun
Day OF which We hear 50 much praise Just now
had tendency 10 make TIE people happy and con-
tented? The Socialism ana Anarcny preVa'ess
throughout the Empire and kept down only by me
strong arm Of the military, answer ina; quest1n,:
\ member Of the Reichstag few years ago SAD
The German people have now but one want
money enough TO get 10 America.
The lsborng classes have again and again pet
toned their Government for a law compelling ces-
sation from ordinary labor on sunday strange
anomaly, over IN the Fatherland. ;he German Pc
,itonins for something akin to an American sab
bath and In the metro9os Of Ameri,a marching
through the streets WIN banners flying demanding
the abrogation of Sabbath laws
LONDON AND PARIS COMPARED.
VIA, has the continental sunday" done FOR
France? The eminent French statesman and
writer. Count nte!ember' wrote: Men are sur
prised sometimes by the ease with which the I'M
incnse city ot London IS kept IN order By A gar
raon OF three small batiaons and two squadrons,
haif The size. 5000 troops OF the line and 5000
National Guard are necessary but the stranger
who arrives IN London on sunday morning, when
ne everything of commerce suspended IN that
gigantic cauta. in obedience Cod when In the
centre o; that colossal business he finds silence ana
repOsc. scarcely interrupted by the bells which
~ cbTrlF 10 Ir@ygr then f hs asonfshmen ceases
The following graphic words are from the pen OF
bor T.aen in Paris in 1888 counting forty different
kinds OF wor%ingmen busy at their tasks as |
chur.h not FAR away. wondered where that
would end. AMI saw, he end IN ls7l In the fires
reminded of the Oppressive. "Purltancal "obso-
nny one believe thar n the Pilgrim Fathers and
tho old scotch Covenanters; men who believed IN
p@"S pcn ana oG have Hecn the land ~ r,os revoi
any ono nc.ieye that II from the Bay Of Fundy 10
Worli had been mrn who brought with them the
sabbath II southern Europe. these shores would
hive been the asylum for the struggling masses
of thc ola World?
THE EFFECT OF SUNDAY CLOSING.
Is there any reason why the STATE should alter
her sunday laws the dictatior of the saloon?
VIVA; has the saloon done for the Sabbath day?
In Germany 53 per cen, o. the crimes COM
m'tted between Saturday night and Monday morn
ng
In III. city OF Toronto. where the saloons are
closed from o'clock Saturday night until 8
O'Clock Monday morning, ont ot total or 3ZH ar
rr-'s for drunkenness AMI dsorderly conduct In
lS'i and 2.773 IN 1895. less than one hundred OF
these arrests in each year was on SUNDAY
The superlntcrdent OF Police in Edinburgh. a
connected wiki the police force for forty years.
made this statement After the operation OF the
law compelling saloons to close on the sabbath
time or the beats IN the whole OF Edinburgh, while
week days there were seventy-eigni.
" IN open saloons IN Cincinnati on Sunday one
lhra Of ne total crime committed for the ,y year
on sunday OF the daily papers OF that city
stated tina; It was as quiet AS country village
and the police had nothing 20 do
RESULTS IN NETWORK.
Macistraie Brann. OF Essex Market Court. refer
ring to the present administration OF law. said:
'The contrast between the number OF Monday
morning 'irunks now and before saloons were
closed on Sunday IS remarkable. There has.
moreover. been corresponding reduction in the
number Of crimes brought ~ the attention OF this
Court either directly or indirectly attributable to
dTunkcnness
Throughout the Cont:ncn, Of Europe to-day the
question Of a Sunday IS being agitated. VIII
America take a backward step?
We are brought face to face with the question;
shall the saloons be open on the sabbath day.
ON how that question answered will depend
whether the continental sunday" happily grow
in in disfavor across the sea, shall disgrace these
4 corrupt and drunken monarchy may stand for
centuries but government by the people. II that
people be corrupt ami drunken. VIII certainty be
rent by liwessness. nriilc.ency and anarchy.
WHAT 20 THE SAD WAVES SAY!
ODD CONDUCT AsCRIBED TO HUSBAND BY