The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-19

following observations from the Provi-
dence Journal rather than as to it's argu-
ment that we feel bound to protest:
s"1hs request that the public schools
be closed on that day wbieh IL observed
by "a limited NUN ber Of tie Christian be-
levers as GOOD Friday" Is an amt zipg
piece of seutarian etfrontsry. IL IL
should bs granted. there would, OF
course. have to follow, logically. similar
cessation or school work OH the Jewish
New Year ana 90 on through the list OF
special "holv days" OF all the religions
req resented in this libsral country.
such things cannot be Iermittsd. lho
1ree public schools must not only be Kept
non-seotsrian, but In their msnagsmsnt
there can be no recognition Of any particu-
lar religion ana its ceremonies. Bssides,
the shoots are CLOSED too many days In
the year already.
Whether or not civil holiday should
he made of Good Friday is question for
moderate discussion intelligently put,
just as was TIE question OF setting apart
Labor Day holiday, to recall recent
instance of holiday making And It may
easily he believed that quite as many
persons would favor such an observation
of Good Friday as OF a day set apart In
honor of labor. for instance.
At all events the statement by the Jour-
nal that Good Friday ''is observed by
limited number OF the Christian believ-
ers" is sither a conscious slur or demon
strstion of rare lack of acquaintance
with facts. The recognition of Good FRI
dav has had an amazing growth in recent
years as poDulsr feast day by no means
limited &, tire Roman and Episcopal
churches or to religious organiza-
tiors as distinct from "A society that Is
united by ties other than those of creed
and denomination. Last year the Con-
gregational church formally recognized
Cool Friday as church festival for the
first time in this community and, II we
ara rightly Informed, tho Methodist and
UniversaliGt churches now swing into the
limo so long held by the Roman and
Episcopa organizations. It Is perhaps
not too much to~sny that the Limited
Friday really amounts to 90 per cent OF
our church population.
The rroad merits Of the question are
open to debate but on correspondingly
broad grounds. Few relisionists indeed
believe in associating the public schools
In any way with sectsrianism. Even so,
the majority of public sentiment In a
specific community is bound to
rule. And it may he recalled that
the greatest holiday of all the year.
Christmas, was originally religious, a
sectsrian feast. which, not many genera
tions ago. was not alone unrrcosnized by
the civil law but also by great part of
the organized Christian churches. IL is
a. the basis sectarian "holy day.
however many elements Of pagsnism
may have developed In IL since it became
general religious and civil holiday.
The inToads CT sectarianism, II 1t may so
be called, made into our civic institutions
have really bean numsrus and are not to
be successfully opposed by narrow and
hsir-yplitting argment. As to Good Fri
day we believe, 1t isa legal holiday in
tho big town CT London, England, and,
In our own metropolis, Wall street OBJ
serves 1t by suspendina its operations.
Moreover In five STATES of the Union,
Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsyl-
vapia and Tennessee. 1t is statutory
holiday.
There is thus evidently something to
DO said on both sides of the main ques-
ton.