The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-30

Presbyterinns and the Sabbath.
The Presbyterian general assemblies at
New Orleans and Winona. Ind. had be-
fore them during the past week the peren-
NAL question Of Sunday observance. In
the Northern assembly the matter did not
take up a great deal Of time. A resoiu-
ton somewhat severely oriticIsing a num-
Der Of forms of Sabbath breaking was in
troduced. Sunday newspapers were in
Weighed against; Sunday bicycling for
either pleasure, recreation or business was
condemned riding behind or upon horses
was placed equally under the ban; visit
ing, working or playing was tabooed; and
last but not least the resolution called
upon the President of the United States
to restrict the activity Of the army and
the navy on Sunday. The resolution was
debated for short while, and then the
matter was postponed for a year, until
the next meeting of the body.
In the Southern assembly, at New Or
leans, however, no such short cut was
taken. The permanent committee on The
Sabbath reported that statistics from two
thirds of the synods showed a growing dis
regard for the Sabbath The reports for
the current year were said to be more
dscouraging than ever before. Many Of
them expressed the belief that Sunday
travel and traffic were largely on the in
crease; in fact, in many instances there
was more travel on Sunday than any
other day; that the Sunday newspaper
was largely on the increase, especially on
main lines of railroads and in the vicinity
of the larger cities. one synod as a mat
ter of fact that of South Carolina, COM
planned to the Postmaster General and re-
quested him, in the interest of Sabbath OBJ
servance, to discontinue the Sunday mails.
This action of the South Carolina synod
was the subject of probably the warmest
debate of the session. Complaint was
made to the general assembly that the
action of the South Carolnians in pro-
testing to the Postmaster General was in
coptravention of the attitude of the
church. which concerned itself only with
spiritual matters and not with secular
government. On the other hand it was
held by a committee appointed to take
cognizance of the South Carolina case
that the synod of that state had acted
within its right, that it's acton was com
mendable, and should be sustained. This
view was adopted by the general assem-
bly,, which thus places itself on record in
opposition to Sunday mails.
One cannot help questioning, in view of
all the modern conditions. if the general
assembly would not have taken the re-
verse action if its voice would have gov
erned in the matter of the mails. What
would it mean 10 the world if one day of
the seven were totally eliminated from the
calendar in every secular sense? If the
Sunday mails were stopped the hiatus in
curent affairs would be well night in
tolerable.
Our friends the Presbyterians should not
lose sight of the fact that even the dis
cipes were technically breakers of the
Sabbath. for they gathered CORN and pre-
pared it on that day. They did it because
of their necessity. At this day there are
necessities which warrant what might be
called technical Sabbath breaking. Trans
hitting the mail is one of them
The Sabbath was made for man, not
man for the Sabbath. one may read a
Sunday paper on the Sabbath, and still
give praise to God. One of the good gifts
to Americans is an untrammeled press
which insures enlightenment and liberty
to the people. One may go bicycle rid
ing on the Sabbath and while astrde a
90-gear 1898 model, return sincere thanks
to the Almighty for his goodness. His
benefactions include the beauties which
L.
bicycle which he gave man.