Washington sentinel., 1901-03-02
The sunday Opening Question

but swept together for anotht
pounding at Chicago in 1898.
is liable 10 be brought forward o
every like occasion till public ser
timent manitests itself with sue
force on one side or the other a
to discourage further revivals {
the issue.
The ground upon which Sunda.
secularities were opposed ol oil
was purely religious. Today it i
ostensibly economic The chang
is significant of the movement o
the bulk OF the people away from
the notion that the moral basis o
all human action is unquestioninl
obedience 70 divine authority, to
ward belief that, so long as tht
divine will is nowhere expressed
with such clearness as to rule ouI
honest differences in human inter.
probation, faith must be reinforced
by logic IN order to be effective
Ben Frankiia met the absurd
superstitions OF his day, IN a letter
to a friend in Connecticut, with
this bit of sarcasm:
When 7 travelled in Flanders thought
OF your excessive strict observation Of
Sunday; and that a man could hardly
travel on that day among you upon his
lawful occasions without Hazard Of
Punishment, while where was everyone
travelled, il he pleased, or diverted
himself in any other way; and in the
afternoon both high and low went to the
Play or the Opera, where there was
plenty Of Singing, Fiddling, and Dane
ing. looked arourd for Gods Judg-
ments, but saw no sign of them. The
Cities were well built and lull OF inhabi-
tantS, the Mar kets filled with Plenty,
the People we'll favored, and well
clothed, the Fields well titled; the
Cattle tat and strong; the Fences,
Houses, and Windows all m Repair
which would almost make one
suspect that the Deity is not so angry
at that ofense as a New England Justice
Now we are assured by the op-
ponen,s of Sunday opening at
Buffalo that their purpose is sim
PLY to spare the employees of the
exposition the confinement and
labor OF attention to their duties
for the whole seven days Of the
week. This would be good enough
reasoning If the experience OF
every library, = useum, or art gal
lery where Sunday opening has
been tried had not proved that no
one has suffered by it, but a null
titude have been made happier. In
view of the large number of busy
workers who have no other holi-
day than Sunday, the question re-
solves itself, in its last anal" sis,
into the temporary comfort OF the
few as against the permanent ben
eft OF the many. 1.-THE same phil
osophy we're extended to the
churches, we should see lew houses
of worship open on Sunday in win
ter, for the sexton and his assis-
tants have to take constant care OF
the heating and ven'ilating appar-
atus IN the Lords Gay, in order
that the larger number OF church
goers may meet and remain to-
gether Tor few hours OF spiritual
enjoyment.
1t seems as il, by the exercise OF
a little tact and discretion, a series
Of Sunday shifts could be made at
the Buffalo Exposition which
would release any employe who
objected for reasons oi conscience
to serving on Sunday, and divide
the Sunday work among the rest
50 that only part Of IN m should
be robbed OK their weekly rest.
Those branches Of the show which,
by the noise involved in carrying
them on, or for some other reason,
are liable to give needless ofIense
TO persons who wish a quiet Sun
day, could be suspended without
shutting out the whole public from
the educational features.
Such plan seems to come as
near as is practicable to satisfying
all the individual shades of popu-
lar preference. Those who wi n
10 60 to the exposition on Sunday
can go and enjcy themselves in a
rational way; those who do no,
wish to go, need not, and neither
those who 60 or those who stay a.
home need be disturbed in the
peace and quiet of their holiday
Il recalls the provision made by
the postal administration Of Bel
gum several years ago. whereby
all postage stamps had printed or
them, in English and Flemish, tn,
legend, mot to be delivered OF
Sunday" Any one who wishec
to have his letter delivered withou
restriction as to the day OF th
week might tear of the margin
containing these words. The ar
rangement was ideal. inasmuch a
it lett each question Of iadividua
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