Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-05-31
LOCAL CORRESPONDENTS.
Sabbath Observance.

SaDDatn observance.
FEosrBrRG, Mp, May p. 1902.
To the MINING JOURNAL.
The committee on Sabbath Obser-
vance" appointed at a meeting of SUN
day school superintendents some weeks
ago, have arranged to hold IL public
mass meetiugi in the Presbyterian Church
Tuesday evening, June 3, at o., o'clock.
In connection with this announcement
| wish to make Il few statements to the
public:
The object of this proposed meeting,
rs | understand it, is to find ont who i'll
our town are interested i'll keeping the
Sabbath day and i'll the promotion of Il
high standard of living, and to bind
them together i'll IL fraternal way, at
least, and create interest by the exchange
of ideas.
a good program will he rendered "a
program consisting of two short and
rousing addresses, specl Il music and a
recitation.
Without such an interesting program,
however, the subject itself should be
sufficient to draw together the leading,
thinking, progressive men and women
of this community.
1t will he but natural to expect every
has always been the champion of quiet,
holy Sabbath, and the ministers are
looked to for leadership i'll any move
ment that has as its object the better
ment of the Sabbath and the advocacy
of IL high standard of living.
We shall not go far wrong i'll supoSing
that the most active Christian ladies'
the genuine ~ entieth century ladies'
will be present. They are expected and
needed, because the future is dependent
upon the early training which the boys
and girls of the present receive, and If
the ladies would give the necessary early
instruction they must be thoroughly in
formed and powerfully energiZed.
But will the merchants and laboring
men attend? That is Il question which
will not be answered publicly until
next Tuesday, and hope for strong
affirmative answer. 1t is to the inter
est of the vast majority of merchants to
lend their aid to this movement. The
object of Sunday laws is to protect the
sany who favor a quiet, restful Sabbath
rom the few who would have no Sab
bath at all And if those laws are not to
be enforced if those who do not respect
the statutes are permitted to do business,
then, ! say, remove those laws from the
statute-books and permit those who do
respect law to compete with their fellow
merchants.
This, as you perceive, would destroy
our Sabbath altogether, and bring about
ii condition of affairs which no Christian
and no one outside of the Church who is
deeply interested III mans welfare,
would desire.
There remains, then, but one alter
native. We must have Sunday laws,
and fair dealing with the law-abiding
people requires that these be enforced
against the law breaking citizens.
1t is to the interest of the laboringman
to lend his aid to this movement. God
surely knew what He was doing, and
Moses fully sanctioned His action when
the observance of the seventh day as a
day of rest and worship was made bind
ing upon the Hebrew nation and was
hedged in with laws. Both We're too
much interested in the welfare of the
Israeiites to impose Il burden upon them.
If the Israelites, who lived Il quiet, lazy
like, shepherd life that afforded much
opportunity for physical rest and spiritual
meditation, needed Il special day of rest
and worship, then there is far greater
need that we Anglo-Saxons, who live a
bustlng, strenuous life, should have Il
special day on which to gain physical
relaxation and quiet meditation on
spiritual realities.
Turn the Sabbath into holiday and
day of business and you will soon make
it general working day. The farmers
will not stop their harvesting to celebrate
the nations greatest holiday, but they
respect the Christian Sabbath and will
allow the hay to spoil or the wheat to
become over-ripe rather than work on
that day.
But make the Sabbath IA holiday, and
you may expect employers to treat it as
the farmers treat the Fourth of July
The Church has done more for the work
ingman in her fight for the Sabbath
than any labor union.
would not bind grievous restrictions
upon the backs of the people, but |
would like to have il general demand
from the law abiding citizens that these
store keepers aud saloon-keepers who
detiantly shake their fists in the face of
the law. and in so doing shake them in
your faces because you are the law
Makers should like to have Il strong
demand of public sentiment that these
close their establishments and keep them
tightly shut all day Sunday and that
druggists refrain from dispensing any
thing on that day except medicinal
drugs. l should like to see deep inter
est i'll purity of life.
The grand jury and court did well and
we ought to commend them by efforts
toward the accomplishment of the same
noble purpose. HARRY 5. ECKER.