New-York tribune., 1901-01-01
SUNDAY REST CONGRESS.
so WELL AS 1T WAS CENTURY
AGO, SAYS DIR. HATHAWAY

report of the Ninth Sunday Rest Congress-
held in Paris last summer was given by the Rev
Dr. Israel Wista- Hathaway, general secretary of
the American Sabbath Union. at the meeting of the
Woman's National Sabbath Alliance held in the
Presbyterian Building yesterday. 1.-THE United
States Mexico and every country OF Europe
represented" said DIR. Hathaway. Among the
three hundred delegates Senator'S deputies.
counts, advocates. Bonapartist Prince and
twenty Roman Catholic digntaries. The reports
OF the various nations showed that while the
American Sabbath is not kept to-day well It
was one hundred years ago. Europe has made
great advancement in securing one days rest In
the week for the 'aborng man. 1t has done this
not because Of arp religious principle but for the
reason that man cannot do without day of rest.
1t has found that written i'm human nature there
is Sabbath law which will not be ignored The
change is especially marked in the diminution of
national business. such railroads, telegraphs
and postal deliveries In Holland alone two thou
sand freight trains have been stopped on Sunday.
On the Continent, a rule there is at present
only one postal service during the day. In Lon
don there are none, but in the smaller towns of
England there is still one
I'm several Continental countries there has been
new Sunday legislation since 1889 Germany has
a new law closing all factories that day.
Sweden has several new These restrict labor
of all kinds to a minimum, and prohibit public
amusements and dances. Switzerland has closed
her factories Sunday. In Holland the public
houses closed Saturday at p. m, and
prevail in Norway. All factories are closed in
Russia. and Spain has a law hardly in opera
tion yet, securing Sunday liberty for the working
men.
Nearly ali the large shops in Paris now
closed Sunday. This began in 1899. when one
OF the largest houses I'm the city sent thousands of
letters to its women patrons. asking If they could
do their shopping In six days. The management
was surprised to receive a majority OF favorable
replies For time the goods ordered on Saturday
delivered the following day, but this. too.
has ceased. and other firms have followed the ex-
ample. and all report that they have suffered no
financial loss result.
e Deluz. secretary of the Federated Sabbath So
Cieties of the World reported progress In every
country except Great Britain and the United States
The central thought OF the congress was Ine
liberation of the laborer from Sunday toll. The
principle accepted by every one present was the
right OF every person to rest on Sunday, ana tnat
sion OF the discussion Sunday legislation, NJ.
Deluz offered the following resolution which was
unanimously adopted: That the enjoyment OF
days in seven is the natural right OF man,
and that il is the duty of the governments TO Sc
for their subjects but that II he lett
the governments and people of the several cour-
tries to obtain this In the way and manner that
shall be best suited TO the conditions ana circum-
stances OF each.
I'm my opinion this congress failed TO reach the
best results. because IL excluded from the discus
sty of the religious of the day: All arguments
put forth in the congress really based on TINS
divine law written in human nature Aud voiced
humanity