Evening star., 1897-01-18
CAUSE OF REFORM
Large Mass Meeting Yesterday at the
Metropolitan Church.
4 SPEECH BY BISHOP SAffERLEE
What Has Been Accomplished by
Legislation.
RK TO BE DON

There was a large mass meeting yester-
day afternoon at the Metropolitan Church
to consider the subject of District reforms
the special topic being Sunday rest and
liquor sellirg. Charles Lyman, president of
the reform bureau, presided, and on the
platform with him were the speakers of
the afternoon. After q praise and prayer
service, led by DIR. J. G. Butler, Mr.. Ly-
man, explaining the object of the meeting,
made brief address, and said there are
people who desired to have the Constitu-
ticn OF the United States amended so as
to contain a distinct recognition therein of
God He was among those who believed
that the Constitution already recognized
God.
Mr.. Lyman introduced Bishop Satterlee,
who made the leading address of the meet
ing. He said the name of God might not
be written in the Constitution, but the
principles of Christianity were there, so
lorg as the people of this land were a
Christian people.
The Sunday Law.
Speaking of the Sunday law he said:
There is great advantage in this
Sunday law which it is proposed to enact
simply for the reason that there is not a
single Christian or religious word in it.
We believe in the eternal separation of
the church and state in this country
We must not foist our opinions or doc
trlnes on those wlc are of different opin-
Ions, and yet who are under the dominion
OF the same law.
Il have heard this Sunday law described
Wilnln the past week by prominent leg
lsiator as the most moderate on the SUBJ
)ect of Sunday he had ever SEEN All men
can unite so far it IS concerned From
beginning to end it speaks only of Sunday
and Sunday rest.
We are following out the line IF tho
nfst sunday law that was ever enacted,
that OF Constantine, wherein it was prc-
scribed that such and such things should
uot n ce aone on the great day of the Sun.
we are following also the precedent in
the American Constitution"
Inc bishop declared the law would work
me flrst part of it had been in force from
| 1864 to 1886, and to it we owe what oriat
we now enjoy on Sunday. Speaking of tho
need OF the law. he said that a few weeks
ago ne had gone down into the different
aIieys and streets east of 7th street and
south or pennsylvania avenue and found
| on Sunday 81 places of business omen
VI these Al were groceries, and % boot and
| shoe stores.
Work Accomplished.
Rev Wilbur F. Crafts, superintendent of
the reform bureau, was the next speaker
His subject was the Progress of Reforms
in All Lands" Speaking of what had been
accomplished, Mr.. Crafts said:
Sweep the fiashlight over the four years
OF the closing presidential quadren enni-m
Twenty-fonr states have in that time i'm
proved their divorce laws, and Congress
has passed its first anti-dvorce law by aid
OF this bureau. Three recent acts of Presi-
| dent Cleveland, those of us who are of a
different political faith, should be first to
recognize as the greatest historical achieve
ments in the White House since the war
namely. the May order completing civil
service reform, the Christian Thanksgiving
| proclamation, the first i'll our history, and
| the International Anglo-Saxon treaty of
arbitration.
| Sweeping the searchlight over the wear
and 1hree-quarters Of the present congress
Slonai biennium, we note that this Congress
! has already outdone all its recent prede-
cessors in legislation for moral and social
| reforms, having passed an anti-prize fight
| law, an anti-dvorce law and an irnmigra-
| tion-restriction law, besides defeating a race
gambling law. There are five reform meas
| ureS besides that have passed one house
and four more that have been approved by
| committee or Commissioners, both, all
| of which l believe will pass If those who
| desire will express public sentiment in their
| behalf promptly by petitions and personal
| letters.
The Sunday Mails.
| In this biennial period, nineteen states
| have raised the age of protection for girls.
most of them not adequately. but all up
! ward. This sheaf- of victories we hope is
| to be capped by Congress raising the age
| to eighteen in this District. In fourteen
| legislative bodies the question Of gambling
| has been up and in all save New York and
Missouri-in Congress by aid of the bu-
reau-the gamblers have been routed. Pugi-
| lists have been driven hither and thither
| by cabinet and Congress, by governors and
| legislatures, with no favors except in New
York. Temperance has added four states
| to the roll of temperance education in about
| a year past and carried two bills by large
| majorities through the lower house of
Congress. AS for the Sabbath, its greatest
gain has been the act of Postmaster Cen
eral Wilson, Christian statesman, in re-
storing Mr.. Wanamaker's local option plan
OF closing post offices on the Sabbath
wherever majority of the adult receivers
OF mail so request. My suggestion at the
Washington Endeavor convention that this
| should be the speciality of young peoples
| societies all over the land this year has
been accepted officially, so far as the En-
deaVor headquarters are concerned, and all
the various young peoples societies are in
measure cooperating, the bureau supply
| ing them freely with a beautiful badge
I for each Lords day committee 1 hope
some thing will be done at least to lessen
Sunday work in the postal service here in
Washington, where it is greater, / be-
lieve, than anywhere else"
Other Addresses.
Rev. Hugh T. Johnston spoke of the pecu-
mary aid necessary for the work of the
bureau. and collection was taken up. W.
| H. Pennel of the Christian Endeavor citi-
zenship committee spoke in favor of the
Little bill to prohibit the sale of liquor in
the capitol building. Mr.. j. L. Ewin of
the Anti-Saloon League spoke of the pro-
visions Cf the Morse bill, to amend the
District liquor law. Mrs. NJ B. Platt and
Mrs. Ellis. superintendent of the anti
gambling department of the W. c. T. L.,
also spoke in behalf of the bill raising the
age OF protection for girls in the District
OF Columbia to eighteen, and the interstate
anti-gamblfng bill.
| Gang of Thieves.
The police are in the belief that a regu-
larly organized and dangerous gang OF
thieves was broken up by the arrest Fri
day afternoon of Elijah Lewis and Thomas
Kidwell. The arrests were made by De-
| tectives Horne and Weldon, Sergt. Daley
and Policeman Anderson, and large guam
tity of stolen goods recovered from vacant