Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-22
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.
Meeting Of the Committee of
Preachers Yesterday.
Report of Special Committee on CRYING
Newspapers on the Streets SUNDAY
Adopted Strong Speeches Tavoring
Still Further Efforts to Prevent Sunday
Violations.

| The adjourned conference of the min
listers of the various Protestant denomi-
nations in this city. organized for the
purpose of formulating a movement
looking tc a better observance of sun
| day in Norfolk, was held al Epvorth
Methodist Church at IL o'clock M yes
terday. with the president. DR.. Is. D.
| Tucker. of st. Paurs Episcopal Church,
In the chair. and Rev. Daniel T. Mer-
rift. secretary Prayer was offered by
Rev. a. Coke Smith. d. d.
| The committee appointed at the last
meeting TO wait upon the city authori-
ties and enGeavor to get them to sup
press the habit hawking newspapers
on the streets of Norfolk on Sunday,
submitted the followiug:
The committee to whom was referred
the question of securing the passage of
| an ordinance prohibiting the crying of
| newspapers on the streets on Sundays.
| beg leave to report that they have So
cured the Introduction of an ordinance
| To that effect in the Select Council. 10
come up for action at the next meeting
of the Council In the meantime the
committee will appear before the Com
mittee on Ordinances to urge its favor
able consideration by that body.
The report was adopted and the COM
mittee continued for tabulatinG a list
of the laws of the State violated in Nor
folk OH Sunday.
On motion OF DR.. 4. Coke Smith, of
Epworth Methodist Church, Mr.. S. S.
Lambeth, Jr., prominent young attor-
ney. was invited 20 cooperate with the
committee in tabulating the laws.
The discussion OF Sabbath dcsccration
incident to the transaction nf no hICi-
ness before the meeting was partici-
pated in by several of the minister's
Rev DR.. Mack OF the First Presby-
terrain Church, favored the method of
attack by Stonewall Jackson-strikng
at some stroOg point of the enemy. lie
suggested that there be an attack all
along the line, from the pulpits of the
city. at an early day. going to- the heart
of the matter of Sabbath violations. In
reviewing the subject he called atten-
ton TO the following dissertations:
Selling cigars, tobacco and drinks in
drug stores. music in the City Park.
which. he said, YOU and are paying
for through the City Treasury; selling
merchandise generally in the city,which
was characterized by the speaker as
miserable evasion of both the law of
| God and man. He also included Sun
| day excursions.
Rev. II. L. Johnson, d. D., of the
Cumberland Street NJ. T.. Church. en-
/ phaSized the crying of newspapers on
the street and the Sunday excursion
\ lie said the former was exceedingly
| harmful on account of its tendency to
| lower the general tone of the Sabbath
sentiment through children as well as
others. in hearing the cries OF wares on
| the Lords Day.
Rev. j. Ernest Thaclier of the Sec
| ond Presbyterian Church. told how the
| police OF Alexandria, where he was
recent resident, would drag children be-
fore the courts for playing crap"
while they would shut their eyes to the
shameful manner in which policy and
gambling was conducted
Rev. DIR. a. Coke Smith, of Erworth
Church. referred TO the practice of gene
raj merchandising on Sunday. He said
that Hebrews. with whom he had con
versed with, favored holding their SER
vices on that day as the people OF the
Christian belief do. The Doctor was
very pointed on the Sunday excursion
question, and remarked that on Sunday
week the streets cars were passing his
home. on York street, all the afternoon
crowded with church people who were
| members OF the Christian churches I'm
this city. Said he: Il do not know
how 1t was with the other preachers on
thai. but my OWN chnrch-Mas- not well
attended that night" He said that
Sunday was too cool for street car rid
gregation. He favored getting up a list
of the Sunday laws that are being
broken and then speaking out our
minds" in a manner that cannot be
misunderstood.
Rev. Geo. w. Lawson, of the Park
Place Presbyterian Church, favored
bringing in n list of the laws of the
State that permits the violation of the
"Bible Sabbath" as we'll as the laws
that are being violated. He thought
that If the State, through its laws is
permitting the violation of the Sabbath,
that the State itself might be brought
into line. He said the people ought 10
be informed on three subjects-the
Bible view of the Sabbath. the States
view of 1t and the individual view
Rev. DIR. Tucker. of st. Paurs Epis-
copal Church. believed that n sentiment
in favor of better Sabbath observance
would be created by the time the next
Legislature meets.
DR.. Johnson referred to the law that
permits merchandise on Lords Day as
coEtemptfDle law-the most respecta-
BILE term. he said, that could be used
for 1t. He announced his purpose of
| moving in the committee to make q test
| case by Selling some Gentle who is
keeping oDen on Sunday and carrying
him before the courts. He thought the
law only allows persons to keep open
on Sunday who conscientiously believe
that the day to be observed as the Sab
bath is the seventh day of the week
He supposed that the Seventh Day Adj
ventists would be allowed rights under
the law along with the Hebrews.
The meeting adjourned subject TO the
call of the special committee