The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-29
OBSERVANCE OF
The SABBATH
QUESTION DISCUSSED BY REV.
w. ]. FORD AND OTHERS.
Special Service Held Yesterday Az
ternoon in the First Presbyterian
Church and Presided Over by A. w.
Dickson-Rev. Mr.. Ford Said That
the Observance of the Sabbath Was
Necessary to Mans Moral, Men
tai and Spiritual welfare-Re-
marks Of w. w. Lathorpe.

| The congregations of the First and
| Second Presbyterian churches assem-
bed yesterday afternoon in the former
temple of worship, the occasion being
II union meeting to promote the cause
| of Sabbath observance.
| On the platform. when the services
were opened by the chairman, A. w.
Dickson, were seated the following
clergymen: Rev. DR.. s. c. Logan, pas
tor emeritus of the First church; Rev.
DR.. James Mcleod. pastor of the First
church; Rev. DR.. Charles r. Robinson,
pastor OF the Second church; Rev. DIR.
! r. r. Y. Pierce pastor of the Penn
| Avenue Baptist church. and Rev. w. j.
| Ford. pastor OF the Green Ridge Bap-
| tist church.
| In introducing Rev. MraAFord, who
made the principal address, Chairman
Dickson remarked that the city Of
Scranton has always had the reputa-
tion of being a Sabbath-keeping city
II remember" said he. that when
first came to Scranton / was surprised
at the great quietness on Sunday, and
said at that time. and ! say vet,
happy is the city founded On the tradi-
tion Of Sabbath keeping"
Rev. Mr.. Ford, in beginning his re-
marks, said that Christ said that the
Sabbath was made for all men. whether
Jew. Gentle or unbeliever. $50 long"
said he, "as man has body to care
for. mind to develop and soul to
save, so long is the Sabbath binding
on him. No nation can long exist that
does not maintain the Sabbath day.
This can be proven by history" Taking
up the question of laws compelling
Sabbath observance, he said:
1.-THE state does not concern itself
with the Sabbath az religious con-
sideraton. but solely because man
needs the Sabbath. The laws passed
for the observance of the Sabbath day
are not religious precepts but laws
passed for the mental, moral and spr-
itual uplift of the people,"
He then dwelt upon the necessity of
the Sabbath as day of rest for I'll
men and especially for the people of
this country, who are, he said, Giving
at a tremendous rate" He said that
a hopeful sign was to be found in the
fact that the trades unions are begin
ming to take up the question and de-
manding that labor be allowed a day
of rest once a week.
SOME LABOR NECESSARY.
GAS society is now organized" said
he, ut is necessary that some men
should work on Sunday, but it is not
necessary that the large number woh
now do. so should. Back of all this
Sunday labor may be found the greed
of gain There would be no railroads
or trolley lines running on Sunday, no
concerts or no places of amusement
open on the Lords day unless some one
were making money"
In the course of his remarks, Rev.
Mr.. Ford referred to the Sunday news
papers. and when he had finished Mr..
Dickson took occasion to. remark with
his characteristic earnestness: MY
quarrel is not with the men who own
or who work on the Sunday papers, but
with the quasi-religious people who
advertise in them. If there were no
advertisements in the Sunday papers
they couldn't live two weeks"
The only other speaker gas w. W.
Lathrope. representing the Philadel-
phia Sabbath association. He explained
tion. formed for the purpose of pro-
noting the observance of the Sabbath
by distributing literature and holding
Sunday meetings. Our national en-
istence." said he, "is dependent upon
a proper observance of the Sabbath. If
we have continental Sabbath. we
can expect to have continental skep-
ticism and continental infidelity."