The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-22
DON'T KEEP 1T HOLY
PEOPLE OF SAVANNAH DESPERATE
THE SABBATH DAY.
REV. E. F. COOK DISCUSSES 1T.
GOOD MEN AND WOMEN ARE PER-
SONALLX RESPONSIBLE.

day VioIatiOns-But 1t Is Time for
Every Good Man TO Study the Sum
day QuestiOn-Many Opposed to
Observing Sunday at AII-"GOOd
Citizens" and Church Members
Who Encourage Violations by En-
tering DarroOms on Sunday Ar
| raigned-CInbs Must Stop Sunday
Liquor Selling and Gambling.
IAN Important Phase of the Sunday
| Question" was the subject of the SER
mon preached at Wesley Monumental
Church yesterday morning by the pas
tor, Rev. Ed. F. Cook. who took his
| text from Ecclesiastes, XX:S: "Remem-
Der the Sabbath day to keep it holy"
THE bold and widespread desecra-
ton of the Lords day." Mr.. Cook said.
has stirred the church, and organ
| izations outside the church, to heroic
effort for the protection of this insti-
tuition of divine and civil authority. We,
therefore, hear much of the Sunday
| Questions as the discussion of this
| subject is called locally; our interest
in this matter is heightened by the is
| ONSAA
reason of the fact that the best citi-
zens, growing tired of the dissertations
of a lawless class, have lined up
against the violators of our laws and
are demanding the punishment of Of
| tenders and a better enforcement of
| law. The consequent agitation is
arousing the resentment of the law
] TO
| class, who have no regard for law, civil
or divine, and also are a menace to
| good government. At the same time
this discussion is awaking good citi-
zens to a realization of the fact that
regard for the sacred dignity and au-
| thority of law is being gradually de-
| stroyed through the habitual violation
of law, by large number of our Cit
liens, and through the failure-of the
courts to check or punish them; there
| by rendering good government more
and more difficult. AS usual the law
less stand ready to defy law and the
law abiding citizens, who demand re-
| gard for civil authority.
| DOUBTLESS much good is being ac-
| complished through the efforts now be-
! ing made to maintain the authority and
dignity of the law. Be that as it may,
| in the face of recent disclosures l am
sure of this much: The time is at
hand when every good man should
study impartially the Sunday Cues
ton and determine the character and
| measure of his responsibility as
| Christian and as a citizen"
Mr.. Cook said, ut is important, for
us to know exactly what we are talk
ing about" So he asked. What is
the Sunday Question:" Answering, he
said, it is not whether there shall be
| a weekly Sabbath. That is settled in
history, in religion. in the law of ma
ture, in the decalogue, in the Old and
| New TeStaments, in the teachings of
| prophets and apostles and of Jesus
| Christ, the Son of Man, who is the Lord
| of the Sabbath.
1T is not a question of the personal.
| domestic and public benefits of week.
| ly rest day. These are admitted by
the most thoughtful and scholarly
judges and by millions of people who
appreciate them too highly to suffer the
loss of them by their own neglect Or
by the trespass of others upon their
rights to these blessings.
THE real question in this country
now is, shall we have a quiet restful,
thoughtful, elevating Sunday or a day
amusements, beer, lust, excursions and
reckless riot for many more. Which
shall be the better for our community?
Which will best promote the interests
of good government in our city, state
and nation? Each of you must answer
this question by your influence and
practice.
"It seems as though many people
here are opposed to observing Sunday
at ALL Judging from their conversa-
ton and conduct. This fact suggests
this question: Why keep Sunday" Re-
plying, he said that the answer is two
fold, expediency and divine wisdom and
authority. In discussing the expediency
of such an institution he declared that
the development of body, mind and
spirit and every interest of the indi-
vidual, the home and the nation de-
pend upon, the harmony of our civiliza-
ton with divine laws. Sunday is an
American institution of divine and CIV
il authority of which we should be
proud and which we must protect.
Mr.. Cook said: 1.-The most important
phase of this whole matter is the ques-
ton of the personal responsibility of
every good man and woman in the land
AS an institution Sunday will be sacred
and safe when every Christian man
and woman remembers the Sabbath
day TO keep it holy. The public con-
science is demOral1zed through the
careless SHINING of many who profess
to follow the Lord of the Sabbath. Our
great need is the education of public
conscience and CONSTANT church. In
order to meet the perils that threaten
the American Sunday we must agitate
and educate, resisting goddess attacks
and invasions by bad personal prac-
tice and influence.
For the sake of money evil men will
violate law. desecratng the Lords day
and defying public conscience and pub
lie good. That this is true is proven
in the history of our own town. Quite
number of men have recently been
convicted of keeping open tipping
houses on Sunday. Many others are
doubtless guilty. All who have been
interested in the prosecution of these
cases have noticed how difficult II is to
convict the saloon men for the violation
of Sunday laws, even when the evil
dence is plain and simple. This shows
plainly the trend of things and is a
reproach to every good man and wo-
man in the city. EVIL men have been
for so long permitted TO violate the
law and go unpublished that at last they
have grown defiant and have built
about them a strong sentiment in IA
vor of their lawlessness-a sentiment
so strong that we can hope for little
Improvement unless the law-loving and
| Iatr-a hiding eftfVapa rfea IN and 10