The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-05-19
TO THE WHEELMEN OF BLOOMS
BURG, PA.

| ASIeeSe
Dear Friends
The preservation of the American
Sabbath is of vital Importance to this
Republic. 1t is not only essential to
the life and growth of the christian
church but 1t is equally essential to
the perpetuity and prosperity Of the
State. This christian nation can not
long maintain its moral character,
and its moral influence over the other
nations of the Earth if we forget God
and ignore his holy day. A land
without Sabbath is land seriously
lacking in morals and true religion,
and IS an unsafe and undesirable
place in which to live. Nearly all our
great men have definitely testified
that to the Christian Sabbath we owe
both our civil and religious liberty.
Daniel Webster said "The longer |
live the more highly I estimate the
Sabbath, and the more grateful do l
feel to those who impress its impror-
tance on the community" Charles
Sumner said : eff we would preserve
our political liberties we must SaHcHty
as well as forkG the Republic. max
ing 1t at once citadeI and temple"
Ralph Waldo Emerson called Sunday
''the core of civilization" 1t is clear
ly evident that the welfare of the
church and of the state alike depend
upon the preservation of our Sunday.
Patriotism unites her voice with that
of religion in calling upon all our peo-
pie to keep sacred Gods holy day.
Within the past few years the bicy-
Gle has been introduced among us and
is source of great pleasure to thou
sands. So enjoyable is the use of
it that many are tempted to employ
it not only on week days but also on
Sunday. An untold number of young
men and women who formerly respect
ed the Sabbath, many of whom regu-
larly attended the church and Sunday
School Services, now spend part or
all of this day in riding through the
country on their wheels. So general
has the practice become that thinking
men and women all over the land are
greatly grieved and alarmed about 1t,
and are raising their voice of warning
and it is simply because of our sincere
interest in the welfare of this commun.
ity that we take the liberty of sending
you this letter. We kindly ask the
young men and women of Bloomsburg
to grant us their confidence and hear
ty cooperation in considering and
settling this question which is of such
vital importance to the nation. The
young people have more to do with
determining what the future of this
Republic shall be than they know or
think. And consider for moment
What is to become of the young men
and women themselves, majority of
whom are among the most honored
and respected among us, if they
ignore the Fourth Commandment,
neglect Gods house, and give them
selves to seeking pleasure on Gods
day =? What is to be their influence
over others, and what is to be the
effect of all this on the nation itself ?
Edward Everett Hale of Boston, says:
"When club of high-minded, moral,
and intellectual young men mount
their bicycles on Sunday morning, by
public appointment, and ride to New
port, they say far more distinctly than
any words can say that so far as they
are concerned they mean that the
next generation shall have no Sunday"
A prominent banker of Boston, not a
church member, recently SAID : "rhe
bicycle is doing more to desttoy Sum-
day and oppose the church than any
other modern institution" These
are but samples of the utterances OF
thoughtful people on this subject. In
many communities "Sunday runs" are
arranged for almost every week. The
young men go out in groups or as
clubs to some town or city and take
dinner, which has been previously
ordered. At these dinners intoxicat-
ing liquors are often used and in
some instances young men hitherto
total abstainers take their first lessons
in drinking intoxicating beverages.
The Sunday riders not only are absent
from church themselves but they dis
turb those who do 60. We are glad
to say that the bicycle club of our
town, by Its constitution, is utterly
opposed to Sunday club runs. We
heartily congratulate the members on
this noble stand and trust that no
backward step in this particular will
ever be taken by them. But it is to
the individual wheelmen that we now
make our plea. Mos: of the bicycle
riders are young men and women.
They are in the near future to hold