The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
USE OF SCHOOLHOUsEs.
Proposal to Open Them Sundays
for NeighbOrhood Benefit.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
Fanatical Sabbatarians are not open TO
argument. but there are plenty Of people
interested in keeping Sunday as rest day
who should feel il a duty 10 support the
plan of opening the schoolhouses the
first day Of the week for the instruction
and entertainment OF the people. DR.
Henry NJ. Leipsiger, who may properly
be called the father of the free-lecture
system developed in this city under the
auspices of the Board of Education. recon-
mends that 1.-The schoolhouses be open
Sunday afternoon and people gather in its
main hall TO listen TO an uplifting lecture
of a biogra phical, historical or musical ma
ture." The use of the building for the
benefit of the public on Sunday need not
be confined TO the hour in the afternoon
during which such a lecture is heard.
There should be no difficulty in finding op-
portunities for employing the rooms to
the advantage of the people in the neigh
borhood throughout the day. not only for
the delivery OF lectures-though these
might well be provided in the evening,
well as in the afternoon-but also for the
giving of simple entertainments and for
the gathering of children TO play innocent
games under suitable supervision. 1t Is
hardly short of a crime that the building
which ought to be a meeting place for
young and old alike on the rest day, where
they might find both pleasure and profit,
should be locked against them.
Sabbatarian cranks will, of course, con-
denim the suggestion Of opening the school
houses on Sunday-or any other place than
the church. But the sensible champions OF
a Sunday which shall serve as a refreshing
rest day must see that they should heartily
indorse every such movement as this. The
Puritan Sabbath can never be restored
Every attempt in that direction, like the
present effort OF a Sabbath society in this
city to prevent boys from playing ball on
Sunday, even when they do not disturb the
public peace, only strengthens the popular
impulse toward going to the other extreme
of the continental Sunday" The solution
Of the problem is a judicious compromise,
which will recognize, on the one hand, the
fact that the masses cannot be forced to go
TO church for some hours and sit still at
nome the remainder of the time, and which
will. on the other hand, resist the CONVEX
sion Of Sunday into a day of either hard
work or disturbing sport. Only common
sense is necessary to apply sound principles
on any question which arises. About the
playing of ball by boys, for example-are
the conditions in given case such that it
may properly be described as a public
sport" which constitutes "a serious inter
ruptiOn of the repose of the community;
or is it essentially as private and quiet a
performance as though the boys were tell
ing stories and laughing at each other? So
about the opening of the schoolhouses as
places for the gathering of children and
adults on Sunday-would such of the
building as is proposed disturb the quiet of
the neighborhOod, or would II really make
/ each community a more civilized place in
which to live? 1t Is only necessary to raise
such an inquiry to see how 1t must be an
/ swered