Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-20
KEEPING THE SABBATH HOLY
PrAsbyterians Deplore the Decadence Of
Christian Day of Rest
AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS ARE THREATENED
Literal Obedience of Fourth Conn
mandmcnt is Urged and Different
Forms of sunday Activity Are
Frowncd Upon,

MINNEAPOLIS, May 19.-Sunday observ.
ancc was the question which took up the
major part of the Presbyterian assembly S
time today. Most of the long afternoon ses-
sion was devoted to an earnest discussion
OF the report of the special committee on
SABBATH observance. In the end the COM
mittee's eight resolutions were adopted with
slight amendments, and two more were
added. In the discussion the Sunday street
car the Sunday train and railroad excur-
sion, the Sunday newspaper, the Sunday
working Presbyterian and every form of ac-
tvity which is not in harmony with the
literal meaning OF the fourth commandment,
was condemned.
Another special committee reported that
1t had not been able to keep congress and
the president from granting the Roman
Catholics permission to erect a chapel on
the West Point military academy military
reservation.
In the debate on the Sabbath resolutions
almost every speaker gave evidence of being
imbued with the feeling expressed in the
words of the committee, THE American
Christian Sabbath Is in imminent peril; in
fact, in many of our large cities and in
other parts of our land 1t is already nearly
lost. This means that American liberty and
American institutions are in peril, for Of
these the American Sabbath has been both
the foundation and the protection"
DR.. Hathaway, secretary of the American
Sabbath union, led in the discussion and
Alexander Dixon of Scranton, Pa; Elder
John Gilchrist of Boston; DR.. e. b. Wright
of Austin, Tex, and many others spoke in
favor of literal observance of the fourth
commandment. Rev. Frederick A. Doane of
California testified that he never rode in a
street car on Sunday and that he stopped
over Sunday on his way to the assembly
ID. w. Glass of Baltimore deplored Sabbath
violation and remarked that President Cowen
of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, who dis
eliminates in favor of Sunday travel, is
Presbyterian. On the other hand, it was
pointed out that the many downtown
churches would have to be closed If church
members never rode to church.
An attempt to get the words christian
Sabbath" substituted for the phrase Amer
lean Sabbath" in the resolutions was de-
feated.
AS adopted the amendments deprecate the
secularizing of the Sabbath, urge members
and young people of the church to realize
the Importance of Sabbath observance, legis-
latures and congress are urged to protect the
American Sabbath, the American Sabbath
Union, and the Women's National Sabbath
Alliance are commended, every pastor is
recommended to preach on Sabbath observ
ance one Sabbath of next October and take
collection for the Sabbath Union; the Board
of Publication is requested to prepare for
Sabbath superintendents' use a Sabbath OBJ
servance leaflet.
President McKinley's attention is respect
fully called to the fact that employees of the
postofiice and many other departments of
the government are compelled to work on
Sunday.
The McGiffert case, contrary to expecta-
tions, was not reached today. 1t is likely to
come up through the reading of Dr.. McGif-
fert's letter tomorrow morning.
DR.. Sample, the moderator, was presented
with another gayel, Dr. Radcliffe presenting
it. 1t is made of woods from the "Old Jeru-
salem" theological seminary of Cannonsburg
and the old Mcmillan college building and
was given by college friends of the mod
orator.
Tonight the commissioners attended
public Sabbath observance meeting in West
minister church.
The various auxiliary boards societies and
committees are holding numerous meetings
during the assembly. Among others the
Womans Board of Home Missions held its
twentieth annual convention in Wesley
church today.
ST. Louis, Cincinnati, Topeka, San Anto-
MO and Winona Lake, Ind, are the places
that are desirous of having the next assem-
bly,, but it is understood tnat st. Louis will
because it wishes to have the con-
vention in 1903, when the Louisiana Pur-
chase Centennial is to be celebrated
Appointment of Committees.
After religious exercises this morning in
the Presbyterian assembly the chairmen of
tho standing committees and a part of the
were announced. The vice
is Rev. Royal T. Graham d. D.,
and the chairmen of the committees are as
follows:
Bills and overtures, Rev. Wallace Radcliffe
D.; judicial committee, Rev. William Nc
kibbin, ID. D.; poity, Rev. Hughes d. Glib
Oons, d. D.; home MISSIONS Rev. Robert f.
Coyle, ID. D.; foreign missions, Rev. Mat
HAS l.. Hanes, d. D.; educational, Rev.
w. r. Kirkwood, d. D.; publication, Rev.
Andrew b. Meldrum, d. D.; church erection,
Rev. Douglass p. Putnam d. D.; theologi-
al seminaries, Rev. John w. Dinsmore, d.
D.; ministerial relief. Rev. William H. Pen
lalegon, d. D.; freedmen, Rev. Charles
Herr, ID. D.; aid for colleges, Rev. John |
3alccm Shaw, d. D.; correspondence Rev. |
" 'iipiii % uilOll, ~ lI'b DtucfOicuCe, WV |
\. Cameron Mackenzie D. D.; narrative, !
Rev. j. Wilson, ID. D.; temperance, Rev. |
Iohn H. Boyd, d. D.; leave of absence, Rev. |
Thomas b. Houghton; mileage, Mr.. Samuel |
finance, Samuel G. Scott.
Following this announcement the special |
ommittees on reduced representation, West |
Point chapel, charter of boards digest, re-
printing of the minutes, Sabbath observance |
nd the boards in systematic beneficence
we're appointed. The committee on reduced |
representation reported alternative resolu-
ions, one making the number of commits
ioners APP and the other 300. The former
lumber is based on a ratio of one commits
ioner to eighteen ministers and the latter
ne minister and one elder for each 5000
John f. Patterson, Orange,
7. j., is chairman of the committee. The
Vest Point chapel committee reported that
Notwithstanding opposition the Catholics
ad been permitted to erect a chapel at
Vest Point.
James feareavill, chairman OF the Sab
ath observance committee, presented a
memorial on Sabbath observance and resolu-
Ions calling for increased respect for the
ay and the enactment of Sunday laws.
The reports of boards and committees were
resented.
Board of Foreign Missions.
The Board of Foreign Missions in its report
,id: