The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-26
0ENTTCT Dir. A. E. BUCHANAN
OAAt AN L 81. 50 When Building.
GREAT CROWD AT ACTON
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE WE'RE ON
THE GROUNDS YESTERDAY.
Ex-PFesidcnt of Moore's Hill College
Talks ON Sunday Observance
Programme for To-day.

Ing brought the largest crowd of the season
to Acton Park. The special trains from the
city We're filled to their fullest capacity
and hundreds of vehicles came in from the
surrounding country. 1t is estimated that
there were two thousand people on the
grounds. The rural young man and his
sweetheart were very much in evidence
and many families took their dinners upon
the lawn beneath the trees. Despite the
large crowd, however, the day was not
marred by any disorderly conduct, the re-
ligious spirit of the camp exercising con-
trolling influence over all. While the sec
ond Sunday at Acton is usually the big
gest day, yet it is expected that owing to
the early converting of the assembly the
coming Sunday will even eclipse yesterday
in point of attendance.
The services OF the day consisted of SER
mons in the morning and afternoon by DR..
Edward Thomson. of Chicago, general
manager of the Sunday League of America
and in the evening by DR.. J. H. Martin.
ex-president of Moore's Hill College. All
three services were notable for their large
audience.
Dr. Thomson's subject in the morning
was sabbath for Man" The organization
of which DR.. Thomson is the head has for
its object the maintenance of the American
Sabbath and to keep out of the land as
far as possible ''the work-day Sunday and
the reckless, riotous holiday Sunday so
ruinous to society" The subject chosen by
the speaker was therefore in direct line of
his life work. From a Christian stand
point the question of Sunday observance
is such a complicated one that the discourse
of thinker upon the problem was partic-
ularly profitable to the great Methodist
gathering.
The Sabbath was not intended began
the speaker, "as servile institution, but
rather one OF health of blessing and of
strength to man. Anything that can re-
heve pain or sorrow or bring light and com
fort has a proper place in the observance
OF sunday. Even some thirgs of mere con-
Venlence are appropriate Nun ought TO
oIeSS WeIi nave n clean face and appear
az ms pest lrom an aesthetic point of view.
Cooking is necessary, but there is no ne
cesslty Tor having meat markets and groc-
cries or confectionery stores open on Sum
Gay. People can buy these things in six
days IN sufficient quantity and no urgent
necessity can arise that will require the
opening of any house OF business with the
exception OF the drug store and that need
be open only for the sale of medicines.
But there is a great tendency to sunday
toll There are now in this land three mil
mons or men, women and children engaged
IN labor on this holy day. The Photographic
establishments are opened. Christian people
order their ice cream delivered to their
doors. Excursions boating parties dane
ing parties circuses, theaters and the very
lowest of saloons ana ali the avenues of
temptation in many cities are open on the
Lore DAY: Some people say that man
must nave Sunday as day of pleasure and
that the Sunday saloon is the poor mans
club. \ ct, 1t is the club that knocks him
down and that knocks the money out of
MN as wen. GOD never intended that the
poor man should be dubbed in that way,
Some say that we are now cosmopolitan
people, that the blue laws of our Puritan
fathers are out of date, but no true Amer
lean VIII invite the people of other lands
to come here bringing their laws and ems
toms and institutions with them. " e in
wife them to come and help us In the devel-
opment of our large resources. out it must
be understood that they shall come to be
Americans, TO adopt our institutions and to
live in harmony with our laws. The federal
Constitution in its first article contains the
phrase Sundays excepted And our faith
ers when they made the laws pertaining to
legislative bodies, courts of justice and bus
mess affairs made statutes for the protec-
ton Of Sunday-Sunday free from business
free from hiIarity; Sunday for thought for
rest, for the uplifting of the people. This is
the principle of American life, American
law, American history"
NO USE FOR SUNDAY PAPERS.
The doctor then took up the use of the
street cars and the use of Sunday trains
and claimed that whenever the people used
these things purely for the helpfulness of
Gods cause there would be no evil in the
matter. but 10 use any vehicle for ones
personal pleasure or convenience or gain
on the Lords day would be contrary to the
spirit OF true Christianity He expressed
the idea that business men ought tn do
without Sunday mail. that all men should
run their business so as to haye twentv-
four hours rest each week He then tOol,
up the sunday paper and claimed that
there was no real necessity for il and held
that It was possible TO give the DeopIe y
hrst-clasS newspaper in six editions a week
with ali the ca Diagrams from all the world
and all the kilograms from all the land
and all the great discussions in nopula1.
form without the Sunday edition In that
way ne sald the reporters, the compositOrs
the presSmen and the little newsboys could
get one day rest each week
Proceeding then TO discuss the necessity,
OF the Sabbath as an institution in the in
terest of manhood, the speaker said that
statistics showed that men lived longer
where the Sabb3th was well kept. He also
said that for the development of the in
tellectual man and the highest elements of
his social nature well as his sufrftuaI
nature, the Sabbath ought to be preserved
At the afternoon service DR. Thomson
delivered a sermon in which ne cor9nar,-|t
with the baptism of Jesus. He said thar
the baptism of John was that administered
by Il man; that of Jesus by God alone
THE baptism of John was an outward
washing o. sprinklng and could not reach
The mind or affect the soul. the ba prisn1
with the powerful energy of fire. This is
the real baptism, the that saves II
comes TO the soul in regeneration. ii comes
IN sanctihcatIon, it comes in the great
events Of life. Christ said Are We able to
be baptized with the baptism that / am