Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-30
SUNDAY IS FOR REST.
Rev. D. L. McNary breaches in
Favor of the Closing
Movement.
TAKES INTERPRETATION OF JESUS
Left to Private Citizens to Take
Initiative in Enforcement
of the Law.


ing on .'Shall We Have Sunday Closing
in Rock Island?"
my subject he said, ''has been
suggested by current events in our
city. A large portion of DUR stores
have been in the past and are still be-
ing kept open on Sunday and move
ment to have them closed that prom
Uses to be largely successful has been
recently inaugurated by the Retail
Clerks association. An effort of
different nature is also being made
with reference to the enforcement of
the Sunday closing law as applied to
saloons. At such a time it is proper
that minister of the gospel should
take up the subject.
1--WE will take as the basis of our
discussion the fourth commandment
and Jesus Interpretation of it: Re-
member the Sabbath day and keep 1t
holy Six days shalt thou labor and
do all thy work; but the seventh day
| is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
This was interpreted by Jesus not
in the literal sense in which the He
brews held it, that man was made to
obey the command, but that the Sab
bath, and hence the command, were
made for man. In His daily life He
healed the sick and did all things
needful on the Sabbath day, but He
held that, as day of rest, it was nee
essary to man and to his best devel-
opment.
''All who make a study of condi-
tions leading to the highest physical
and mental attainment agree that a
rest or change of occupation one day
in seven is a necessity to man. As
the physician prescribes medicine at
stated Intervals for those who are i'll.
so God has prescribe that man must
observe Sabbath of rest if he would
attain to the fullness of life.
What Sort of Sabbath:
81 believe every thoughtful citizen
of Rock Island will agree that our
Sabbath must be maintained, but
there may be difference of opinion as
to what sort of Sabbath we shall have.
The Puritan manner of observance
was so severe it made the day bur-
den, but the pendulum has swung the
other way and we are in danger of
losing the Sabbath altogether. The
change has been brought about in the
seeking of two widely different OBJ
jects and pleasure. These,
sought to extremes, lead to the open
ing Of places of business on Sunday,
and it is this, viewed from the broad
est standpoint. that l wish to discuss.
In the majority of cases it is I'M
dou btedly a convenience to the buyer
to be able to purchase articles he
needs on Sunday. As to its being a
matter of necessity. there are very
few articles that could not be secured |
Saturday night and safely preserved |
for the next day. 1t is an act of sell |
ishness for us to require our merchant |
to work all day simply for our con-
venience. when by a little forethought |
we could give him the day for rest.
The merchant opens mis- store on
Sunday for one of two reasons: Eth |
er for the money he makes. or from |
by competition. l believe the former |
reason holds in very few cases. and
this applies to saloonkeepers as well |
to other classes of merchants. 1t is
fortunate that the subject of Sunday |
closing of saloons has come up at the
same time as that involving other
places of business, for the same gen.
eral principles obtain in all cases.
We cannot properly ask saloonkeep-
er to close when other merchants
about him keep open. 1t would be
unfair discrimination. But when we
have other business houses closed we
can conscientiously enforce the Sun
day closing law upon saloons.
Sad Commentary.
IN This connection may add that
1t is a sad commentary on, well, /
won't say whom, that a private citi-
zen must take the initiative in the en-
forcement of the laws. and it is emf
nently our duty to stand back of the
man who has assumed the most un-
pleasant task that citizen of Rock
Island can assume.
That all classes are entitled to pc
RODS of rest cannot be disputed.
That those periods of rest are q ne
cessity for the best results in life is
equally well established. 1t then be-
comes the duty Of men to take united /,
action in a matter so important. The
irst duty of all. and of christians es-
is to refrain from buying
but what is absolutely nee
sssary on Sunday. And in regard to
saloons. the question can be solved by
he enforcement Of the law. The
sabbath is of particular importance
% the workingman, and he should 4
bear in mind this one thing: The {
more he requires others to work for l.
him on that day the more he will be '
'equired to work for others. and thus {
he day of rest viii come to man less I
md less.
IL urge that We shall have Sunday
dosing in Rock Island. both of stores
nd saloons urge it for the sake of c
he laboriDg man, the employee, the }
bartender, and even for the highest 9
interests of the saloonkeeper; but l
most of all. for the sake of those u In
ortunates who, on SUNDAY make ls