Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-07-19
A Wage Garner Writes TO the
" News" on the Subject,
WEEKDAY HALF HOLIDAY.
Urges n solution OF the sabbath
Breaking that IL Feature Of
American Life.

cess or the aidn-tfncking OF the pro-
posed half-holiduy movement. Il H.
q matter Of surprise that with one or
two worthy exceptions. the agitation Il
left entirely 10 the newspapers.
To b, sure reputable newspaper IL
a powerful agent to bring about re-
forms. etc. and it Ia also a splendid
medium through which the public may
under certain reasonable restrictions,
ventlilte their views pro and con upon
any subject of general interest
The writer believes this is case In
point and believes also therc D. a close
connection between the nif-hollday
movement now under consideration,
and the matter 81 sabbath breaking
which iH also a. burning question at
the present time. That particular ele-
meut Of the community whose noisy
and ioiateroun sports on sunday arc
Objectionable To the more peaceful and
religious classes Invariably reply IN
support % their oucnHu that there "
no other opyrtunity
This d. about their only excuse, but
az mattot of fact the argument a. 20
strong that tto them nt icnHU no other
II NEEDED Like all other subjects this
also has two sides % 10. ana in fairness
we should imparuniiy consider both.
Briefly stated. those who are opposed
TO Sunday dcaccrution maintain that.
10 keep the sabbath day holy o. not a
Mormon Idea. ur "a pruahyterlun fad.
II lH not "a notion that belongs eN-
cluHiyely to any religious sect what
ever, but a. a divine Injunction,
fundamental principle uf Christianity
that should be- observed aud enforced
whom necessary In any Christian COM
munity.
must not be- interpreted ah employing
coercion In the sense OF compelling re-
liuiuua devotion or enforcing by law at
tendance re church. etc. To do this N
neither right nor possible. but while
the law IN negative up Co this point. u
becomes positive Tor should dol when
a disposition is a.lfestod by the r.
religious to ignore tie sentiments. feel
inga and rights % those who believe
In the above SCripturul quotation. The
law 90 operativcl CONSTITUTES violation
of this Christian principle In q Chris
tlun country na an abuse Of privilege
Tor which they become liable 60 pun
iEhmont In other words. while the law
dlscrectly rcfrains from debating what
the citizen shall do on the Sabbath day.
II reserves tho right to say there are
certain things he shall not do.
Now, on the other hand. that class
who by reason % their different train
door sport 10 indoor ease. maintain
that. ,ns NJ one d compelled % partici-
pate Tn or tven 10 witness their oxerciH-
81 against their will. therefore Il la In
consistent ana ian abuse OF privilege
20 mako thelr form Of recreation a pun
iahable uifonao on the sabbath day.
when, 49, "a matter. % fact, no other
opportunity n afforded.
Some writer has said the best laws
are those which make Il easy for the
people 10 de- right and difficult TO do
wrong.
Under existing conditions In this and
most other cities IN Utah. tho reverse
Of this would appear to b. true. To
live within the law. respecting, even II
they do not endorse the sentiments and
feelings % others. Involves n change
IN the entire nature N many who. along
with the more religious. form q part of
the whole.
The average working man land lady,
! t0ol ~ employed from Monday morn
Ing until Saturday night, The one
hour ur two tut the mosO OF daylight
before going DO or after leaving their
respective places Of business ~ alto
gcthcr too brief Tor recreation even N
| they wcre not TOO fnugued 90 enjoy a..
/ BesldeH, a thousand personal duties
combine 90 monopoliEe this brief hour
l Ia directions that could not conHiatJut-
~ come under the heading OF amuse-
menta.
A. a matter of fact. therefore, all
| that large army who are COMPELLED 10
earn their living by tho sweat OF their
/ brow tnnd whether tho Precipitation Ia
| on the outside or inside makes no dif-
] trrtnuplt they are practically donlcd
/ the privilege n recreation the year
round except on the few state and
national holidays.
Now, II u folly On the writer's opln-
/ ion) % argue ihia IL enough They may
say IL II all they viii Fot-that is an
/ other thing. but experience teaches
that the majority of wage-enfnera need
ana certainly desire a more frequent
cessation of business toll ana cares.
aud experience also proves that a Ger.
! tain number are determined ~ have il,
! n not IN ssason-thcn out OF H.
! There IL FAR less rowdylsm In tho
] cities and towns " England ON the Sab.
] bath day than hero IN Utah There
] may De- several causes that contribute
| % the different results there and here,
] but at least or this much we are cer-
] iniu,-thc comparative quiotneas and
] order that prevails In Britain on sun
! day " not due 20 any Absence OF that
! rough, lrrcllglous element who have
| lltue or mo- rcgard for the snnctity oi
| the sabbath.
! In those largo cities, compared Ia
which salt Lake Il only "a village. no
| working classics are given "a hnlf-hoI.
| day each week and then the law gov
| ernlnE the Observance OF the sabbath "a
| strictly enforced, II IL n childish nrgu.
| ment ana Indicates "a narrow hIrutcd
| nina Co reply tls some mny) that we
| nte not governing our cities according
! Co the pattern Of England'a No one
] desires this but when by actual eNperi .
| once the solution OF a problem has been
! found, or at nll events closely np-
! preached, and whom we have the same
| problem, under very similar conditions.
~ II unreasonable TO ask that the rum-
| cdy 20 be- triod2
/ Aftcr u residence In this city Of 10 "a,
! ~ years the writer has never once. ia
/ his knowledge. visited race. game or
| any outdoor sport whatever. The reason
| ~ his taste does not run In that direc-
| ton, but with some Il n az natural Tor
/ them 20 desire open air amusemonts
ana physical recreation ~ Il ~ Tor N
! duck 70 seek an aquatic life Let tho
/ lawmakers and merchants give the ath-
! lete chance for his snort. the book
] worm an opportunity Tor his special en-
! luyment tho family man tho privilege
| OF taking his children Tor an outing. the
| Industrious man chance 10 do chores
/ etc, And under these conditions. with
some somblhnce of consistency, the law
| regulating tho observance of the sab.
] bath can be and should be iigidlv on
/ forced. Unul then. tho law makes IL
] easy 20 DO wrong, and almost impossl-
| bic tfor a certain ciass) 10 do right.
! There arc many other questions grow.
| ing out on this subject of vital lnterpst
/ 10 the people. hut the length OF this let a..
/ ter viii not permit discussion Of them
| now. The writer hopes that others NAV
| have something to say while the iron