The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-02-08
BY REV. CHARLES M. SHELDON,

4
| speaking? There is only one reason
so that the owners of the places may
| sell their goods and make money.
They are not satisfied with what they
can make six days in the week. Their
greed seizes on the one day which
ought to be used for the rest and wor-
ship men need and turns that also into
a day of merchandise. Do we need
any other fact to convince us of the
terrible selfshness of the human
heart?
'Or take the case OF the saloons.
What right have they to open their
doors in direct contradiction to the
town ordinance forbidding it? And
yet this ordinance is held by them in
such contempt that this very morning
as came to this church passed more
than half dozen of these sections of
hell, wide open to any poor SHINING
soul that might be enticed therein.
Citizens of Milton, where does the re-
sponsibility rest for this violation of
law? Does it rest with the churches
and the preachers to see that the few
Sunday laws we have are enforced by
them, while the business men and the
police lazily dodge the issue and care
not how the matter goes, saying it is
none of their business?
But suppose you say the saloons
are beyond your power. That does not
release you from doing what is in your
power, easily, to prevent this day from
being trampled under foot and made
like every other day in its scramble
after money and pleasure. Who own
these fruit stands and cigar stores
and meat markets and who patronize
them? Is it not true that church
members encourage all these places by
purchasing of them on the Lords day?
| have been told by one of these fruit
dealers with whom have talked lately
that among his best customers on Sun
day are some of the most respected
members of this church. II has also
been told me that in the summer time
the heaviest patronage of the Sunday
ice cream business is from the church
members of Milton. OF what value is
it that we place on our ordinance rules
forbidding the sale of these things
covered by the law? How far are we
responsible for our example for en-
couraging the breaking of the day on
the part of those who would find 1t
Improbable to keep their business go
ing If we did not purchase OF them on
this day?
ut is possible there are very many
persons here in this house this morn
ing who are ready TO exclaim: This is
bigotry and puritanical mar
rowness. This is not the attitude Christ
would take on this question. He was
too large minded. He was too far adj
yanced in thought to make the day to
mean anything OF that sort
But let us consider what is meant
by the Sunday of our modern life as
Christ would view it. There is no dis
putting the fact that the age is ma
terial, mercantile, money making For
six eager. rushing days it is absorbed
In the pursuit of money or fame or
pleasure. Then God strikes the note of
his silence in among the clashing
sounds of earth's Babel and calls man
kind to make a day unlike the other
days. 1t is his merciful thoughtfulness
for the race which has created this
special day for men. Is it too much to
ask that on this one day men think
Of something else besides politics,
stocks, business, amusement? Is God
grudging the man the pleasure of life
when here he gives the man six days
for labor and then asks for only one
day specially set apart for him? The
objection to very many things COM
monty mentioned by the pulpit as
harmful 10 Sunday is not an objection
based on the harmfulness
Of the things themselves, but upon the
fact that these things are repetitions
Of the working day and so are distract
ing to the observance of the Sunday
as a day of rest and worship, undis-
turbed by the things that have already
for six days crowded the thought of
men. Let me illustrate. ~.
Take, for example. the case of the
Sunday paper as it pours into Milton
every Sunday morning on the special |
train. Now, there may not
be anything in the contents of the
Sunday papers that is any worse than
can be found in any weekday edition.
Granted, for the sake Of the illustra-
ton, that the matter found in the
Sunday paper is just like that in the
Saturday issue-politics. locals. fash |
ion, personals. dramatic and sporting
news, literary articles by well known
writers, fatality, etc., anywhere from
20 to 40 pages-an amount Of reading
matter that will take the average man
a whole forenoon to read.
II say, granted all this vast quantity
OF material is harmless In itself To
moral life, yet here is the reason why
it seems to me Christ would, as ] am
doing now, advise this church and
the people of Milton to avoid reading |
the Sunday paper, because it forces
pom the thought Of the community the
very same things which have been
crowding In upon Ii all the week and
in doing this necessarily distracts the |
man and makes the elevation of his |
spiritual nature exceedingly doubtful |
or difficult. defy any preacher In
this town to make much impression |
on the average man who has come to |
church saturated through and through
with 40 pages of Sunday newspaper
that is, supposing the man who has |
read that much is in frame Of mind |
TO go to church. But that Is not the |
point. 1t Is not question of press
versus pulpit. The press and the pull
pit are units OF our modern life which |
oughf tn work hand I'm hand And the |