Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-04-21

hear us preach But the news soon
reached the Protestant missionary. He
sent for sne Of our tracts and. short
~ afterwards the people we're forbid
den, by the queen. TO attend our meet
ings. There were many other causes
however that helped to draw forth this
restraint, as will appear from what
follows.
Christianity and some Of the adyan-
tages Of civilization were carried 10
the Islands Of the South Pacific by
missionaries OF the London Missionary
society The missionaries sailed from
England eastward TO the Islands. When
they crossed the is0th meridian. they
neglected 10 make the necessary change
In their time. and consequently. lnstl-
tuied on these islands the DAYS OF the
We k as they are In the Eastern Hem
lsphere. Hence Sunday on these islands
corresponded TO Saturday IN other
places In the Western Hemisphere In
many OF the groups OF islands where
this error was made, lt was rectlfed
soon after Il was discovered. IN this
group the error continued 20 obtain. Il
was not until the last session Of the
Cook Islands parliament IN August
1893 that a law was enacted which
provided for the harmonizing of the
days Of the week with those OF other
countries.
Such a law was opposed 10 the desires
and the religious principles of the Sew
enth Day Adventists. They at once
began 90 oppose the measure. They
distributed tracts among the natives
advocating the observance VI the sew
enth-day Sabbath. and urged the people
to repress the law. The activity OF
the Adventists. together with the whlms
and superstiti0ns OF the natives soon
created much opposition. Very few OF
the natives favored the change
The law went into effect on Decem.
Der 25th, 1898 Christmas day was
made forty-eight hours long The fol-
lowing Saturday which 20 the opposing
faction was still Sunday, the natives
held their meetings and worshlped as
usual. A native pastor conducted the
services. The next day was the first
Sunday under the new law Church
services were held, but they We're at
tended by the queen and a few Of her
associates IN civil affairs, only. The
great majority OF the people refused
10 acknowledge the day as the
sabbath They feared 20 do any labor
or otherwise break the Sabbath law but
they would not attend services
on that day. The next week the church
was closed on Saturday, by order Of
the queen; but the natives, still deter
mined 20 observe their own Sabbath
held meetings IN the district assembly
rooms. After two or three weeks, the
queen called a meeting Of the people
and forbade them 10 hold meetings in
the districts, or TO attend any meetings
on the old Sabbath. She threatened 20
punish them n thew continued 10 OBJ
serve Saturday as a day OF rest
The natives We're soon made to realize
that the queen and government were
I'm earnest. The native pastor. putaura,
was deprived OF his office. This. how
ever did not cause him 10 cease preach
ing TO the people He was then fined
FIVE pounds. and the six deacons who
followed him were fined four pounds
each Several OF the members Of the
church were fined ten shillings each for
violating the law by fishing in the sea
on Sunday.
For several weeks, the people contln-
ued 90 observe their old Sabbath They
could hold no meetings, but they OBJ