The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-20
OBSERVANCE
OF SABBATH.
The Main Question Occupying
the Attention of the Prcsbytcr.
ian General Assembly.
AN EXCITED DISCUSSION
Over the Report OF the Special
Committee The Fourth
Commandment Upheld
I'M CMhITECT DADTIpJI INC
AN EXCITED DISCUSSION
in SMALLEST PARTICULARS.
The Reformed presbytcrians
Have Struggle in Endors.
ing "Dcwey's Doings"

A~oAhHo
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, May 19.-Sun-
day observance was the question which
took the major part Of the Presbyterian
Assembly's time to-day Most Of the
long afternoon session was devoted to
an earnest and often excited discussion
Of the report OF the special committee
on Sabbath observance. In the end the
committees eight resolutions were
adopted. with slight amendments, and
two or more were added. In the discus
sion the Sunday street car, the Sunday
train and railroad excursion, the Sum
day newspaper the Sunday working
Presbyterian,and other form Of activity
which Is not In harmony with the literal
meaning OF the fourth commandment,
was condemned. Indignant comments
were made when another special COM
mIttee reported that it had not been
able to keep Congress and the President
from granting the Roman Catholics
West Point Military Academy reserva-
ton.
In the debate on the Sabbath rcsolu-
tions almost every speaker gave evil
dence OF being imbued with the feeling
expressed In the words Of the commit
tee: "rhe American Christian Sabbath
is In imminent PERIL in fact in many OF
our large cities and In other parts OF our
land 1t Is nearly lost. This means that
American liberty and American institu-
tlons are In peril. for OF these the Amer
lean Sabbath has been both the founda-
tion and the protection"
DR.. Hathaway, secretary Of the Amer
lean Sabbath Union, led In the discus
sion and Alexander Dixon, of Scranton,
Pa; Elder John Gilchrist, OF Boston;
DR.. E. B. Wright, OF Austin, Texas, and
many others, spoke In favor Of literal
observance OF the fourth command
ment. D. W. Glass, also deplored Sab
bath violation by PresbyterIans and re-
marked that President Cowan, of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, which dis
eliminates in favor Of Sunday travel, is
q Presbyterian. On the other hand 1t
was pointed out that the many down.
town churches would have to close if
church members never rode to church.
Tho American Sabbath.
An attempt TO get the phrase Chris
tian Sabbath substituted for the
phrase American Sabbath" in the res
olutions was defeated.
As adopted. the amendments depre-
cate the secularIzIng Of the Sabbath,
urge members and young people of the
church to realize the Importance OF
Sabbath observance. legislatures and
Congress are urged TO protect the Amer
lean Sabbath. the American Sabbath
Union and the Women's National Sab
bath Alliances are commended, every
pastor is recommended to preach on
Sabbath observance on some Sunday of
next October and take a collection for
the Sabbath Union; the board of publ
cation Is requested to prepare and Sab
bath school superintendents to use a
specific Sabbath observance leaflet,
Sympathy Is expressed with 10000 OF
Americans who because OF Sabbath des-
ecratlon are compelled to do secular
work on the Sabbath. President Nc
Klnleys attention Is respectfully called
to the fact that employees OF the post
office and other departments Of the gov
ernment are compelled to work on Sun
day.
The McGifrert case. contrary to expec-
tations was not reached to-day. 1t Is
likely to come up through the reading
OF DR.. McGifterts letter tomorrow
morning.
DR.. Sample, the moderator, was pre-.
sentcd with another gavcl, DR.. Rad
cliffe presenting It. 1t is made from
wood from the "old Jerusalem" theo-
logical seminary ut Canonsburg, and
the old Mcmillan College building, and
was. given BY Jefferson College friends
OF the moderator.
Tonight the commissioners attended
n great public Sabbath observance
meeting In Westminster church.
The various auxiliary boards, socle-
ties and committees are holding numer-
GUS meetings during the assembly.
Among others the womans board OF
home missions held Its twentieth annual