The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
BLUE SUNDAY IN LONDON.
RELIEYINe TINE DEADLY DBPREs-
SION or THE LONDON "a AMMAN.


Art Galleries and Museum. 60 ne Throvr
open On ths First Day or the week.
Chance 20 nuy = Volcano Chesp-Prep-
srstions for vis,uue che Pole by hat
loon-what w.s Found in the Tomb- OF
Two Egyptian Princes.s- or II. e.. 500.
LONDON. March I4.-Tho deadly depression
ola London Sunday is something appalling. In
summer II can be fed from to tho river, to
Brighton, to the country. In winter II must 10
ondured-lke a London fog. Its most tolernble
endurance Is In n state of mental and physical
nsensibillty within the walls Of ones own abid-
Ing place. To venture out into the black, dreary,
silent streets is to get into the clutches Of all
The blue devils of melanChOlia, who will drag
you helpless toward that fatal magnet, the
Thames. until in a desperate rally against fate
you take shelter just In time in a friendly
saloon. There you will find plenty OF company,
but no conviyiality. 1t is a melancholy process.
this Sunday afternoon consumption OF alcohol In
London. Nobody gets drunk. The liquor dead
Ems; IT does not stimulate as on week days.
{ 1t Is q mystery at first, especially to Ameri-
eans, that London, which maintains all the
btrictness OF the Puritans in every other respect,
should permit Its saloons to keep open doors
Sunday afternoon and evening. 1t Is no mystery
when you understand 1t. The open saloons save
thousands Of lives In London every Sunday.
But for the Sunday saloons the Thames would
DO clogged with corpses every Monday morning,
ind the madhouses of England could not con-
lain the poor creatures who would fall victims
70 the Sunday mania 1t is not hypocrisy, there
fore, or a failure to appreciate the virtues of
temperance which permits the British people to
bhrong the public bars on Sunday. 1t Is IA simple
matter Of self-preservRtion for the benefit OF the
body polite.
The church question obtrudes itself ut this
point, but l don't intend to discuss 1t. The
deadly dulness of the average Church of Eng
land preacher is too we'll known to call for any
reiterated description. 1t is an evil which two
remedies, and two only, will ever cure. One IL
aisestablishment and the other Is compulsory
church attendance by adults of both sexes.
The former would speedily vacate nine-tenths
Of the pulpits of the Established Church: the
latter would place the lives OF the present in
cumbents In such jeopardy that they would
quickly give place to men with q modicum of
brains and earnestness.
The foregoing remarks are intended merely
% . prelude to the important and inspiring
news of tho triumph of the national sunday
agitation In Parliament this week. For more
than twenty years the popular demand for the
opening of the national museums and art gal
leries on Sunday has been urged upon the House
Of Commons. In 1874 the proposal was rejected
In the House by a majority of more than 600
votes. At that time the idea of opening any
thing on Sunday except churches and public
bars was reg arded as the grossest sncrilege and
proclamation. But the unregenerRte masses have
pteadily persisted in their demand. At
nrst the opposition was based solely on
religious grounds. 1t was urged. and is still
urged. that the request is for something which
A.. nihla forhida NJ laaat hv i'm plicnttop Eyap
now the cry is raised that this is the thin edge
Of tho wedge. that 1t Is the Introduction of the
Continental Sunday-a bugaboo which is as
horrible in England as II is In the eyes of GER
tain religious bodies in the United States. The
opponents Of the innovation are unable to see
my difference between this concession and the
opening Of theatres and music halls, which they
lear will come next
When the question came up in the House this
week the Government wisely made 1t = nom
political one. This left the members OF both
parties free to vote according to their individual
opinions. and the result, therefore,. increases In
significance. In addition to tho religious OBJ
~Iections, there was the opposition Of organized
labor to overcome. This disappeared, however,
when assurance was given that Sunday opening
should not impose seven days work per week
upon any attendant or other employee. There
was also the advantage o. successful expert
ments in Sunday openings by local museums
in Dublin, Edinburgh. birmingham, and other
large centres of population. The support
ers of tho proposition in the House included
such men as Mr.. Goschen, Mr.. Chamberlain.
Sir John Lubbock, and John Burn. When the
vote was reached-it was o small House-the
figures were 17S In favor and 90 against. This
majority is sufficiently decisive to put at rest
any apprehonsions of q return TO Puritan
methods in the worlds metropolis. The Ma
honal Art Gallery. the British Museum, the
South Kensington Museum, the Natural History
Museum. and other treasures Of art and science
and archaeology will soon be open to their own-
,rs on the only day in the week on which most
Of them can take advantage of the privilege.
Il Is an interesting bit of commercial news
that volcanoes are a drug in the London mar
ket just now. It Is hard to understand that a
man with Q volcano to sell should put 1t up at
auction in London at the present moment,
when blase New Workers would probably pay
him his own price for IL and think themselves
lucky to get a new sensation. If there is any
thing that EnElishmen are anxious to escape
from It Is the series OF shocks and surprises
which have come upon them in nerve-shattering
succession ever since President Cleveland
launched his Venezuela message early in the
winter. The country is on the verge of nervous
lrostration. And at such a moment there
comes along an idiot who wants to unload a
volcano In full working order at forced sale. 1t
Is q wonder that the man was allowed to get
away live.
His courage deserves at least the reward of
this free advertisement Of his goods. The
speclhcations are these: The island, known as
the Island OF vulcano, lies or the coast of
Sicily in the Mediterranean. 1t Ii eighteen
miles In circumference, has delightful harbors
and shelters. and is inhabited by 400 persons.
shepherds. vine growers, DC. Most OF the island
is under cultivation and 1t contains rich vine
yards and fig orchards. The society of the
island must be ideal. There are no lawyers,
doctors. policemen, liquor sellers, or pau
pers among its Inhabitants. The volcano
Is . genuine one, but, Judging by its
record, 1t Is well behaved ninety-nIne
years out OF one hundred, The vendor,
however. offers no guarantee on that point. In
fact, 1t has been silent so long now that there IL