Fergus County argus., 1901-07-31
OFFICIAL PAPER OF FERGUS COUNTY,
InE REV. RONARD.

THE REV. B0NARD.
Chicago has her Dowic, Topeka her
Sheldon and Helena her Buyard. The
latter appears in the role of a person
ally appointed censor and oracle com
bined A peculiar characteristic Of the
modern day reformcr is his intense
egotism and love Of notoricty. \ month
ago the name of l.nvard was unhvard
of but suddenly it bursts forth like "a
flower that blooms in the spring. ira
la-la," only to- fade and disappear in
the fall 1t is evident the Rev. howard
regards il as MS special mission on
earth TO reform Helena, including the
Herald About amouth ago he dunnod
his armor Of Righteousness and sallied
forth, the Montana and Lambs club be-
ing his special object Of assault. He
started in as couragcously ~ did Don
QuiXote when he attacked the wind
mill, and with about the same result
lie created sensation. got the worst of
it in newspaper controversy and sub
sided for a brief period
But according 10 the papers hc il at
it again, only little broader in the
scope of his reform, doubtless, regard
ing Helena as forever lost. lie is going
to stop all Sunday work and recreation:
he thinks the post-ofiice should be
closed on Sunday and railway travel
suspended. But his special object Of
hatred is the Sunday newspaper, which
There is no more need of than for a
fifth wheel on wagon" and which,
he says, lis the most demoralizing Of
all of the latter day inventions of the
devil" This exhibition of bitterness
toward the Sunday paper is doubtless
largely due to the trouncing given him
by DIR. Egleston of the Independent.
This opinion of the influence of the
Sunday paper is not in keeping with
the liberal and advanced thought Of the
age. Possibly the objection is not un-
mixed with selfishDess, rs there are
some people who can find more salts
faction in a good Sunday paper than
they can in dry, dogmatic sermon
and as to their own personal and souls
welfare the time has arrived when mos
men prefer to be their own judges OF
that point. The days of the thumb
screw and racl; have passed The Sunda,
paper simply meets the imperative de
mand of the age.
The matter of Sunday recreation i,
something of poser To the Rev. 30
ward. lie admits that the man VIII,
works hard six days out of the weel
really ought to have little recreation
But he thinks this could be obviated b,
granting n half-holiday on Saturdays
In various kinds Of business this is i'm
possible, especially in manufacturing
where rush orders are constantly oI
hand. In many Of the large cities o
this country the Saturday half-holida,
is granted by wholesale houses. Bu
this would not prevent employees from
enjoying Sunday as they see fit,
might increase church attendance Il
the winter season, but during the sum
mer people confined to shops and store
seek and will have out-of-door recrea
tion and sport.
The trouble with Rev. Bovard is he /
behind the times. The Puritan Sab
bath is thing of the past. 1t has gon
never To return and il is we'll. Ever
man is guaranteed the right to worshi
God according To the dictates of his ow
conscience, and as long as he conduct
himself properly. is orderly and doe
not disturb the peace of others, he
saving himself in this world AT lras
Every day is too good for the lau
breaker.
The church must advance to the ne'
conditions and strive to make men goo
every day. 1t can never win them Il
curtliling their harmless pleasures AN
restraining their liberties.