The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-09
REV. W.S.RADER'SSERMON
MADISON-AvENCE CHURCH PASTOR
ON SUNDAY BASEBALL.
He Opposes the Bill Now Before the
Legislature and Gives His Rea-
sons-A Similar Discourse.

yesterday morning the Rev. w. S. RAIDER
preached against Sunday baseball. He said:
THE Sabbath is of divine appointment.
We are commanded to keep IL holy. Pri-
marily IL is a day for rest and worship.
The command relating to the establish
ment of this day and its uses is very ex-
plicit. Six days shalt thou labor and do
all thy work, but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy, God; in II thou
shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor
thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor the
stranger that is within thy gates. For in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth.
the sea and all that in them is, and rested
the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord
blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it,.
The highest legal tribunal in all the
world. the Supreme Court of the United
States, has this 40 say: Laws setting aside
Sunday a day of rest are upheld, not
from any right of the government to legis-
late for the promotion. of religious observ-
ance, but from its right to protect all per-
sons from the physical and moral debase-
ment that comes from uninterrupted labor
I'm the face of the above declarations
the growing disregard for the Sabbath Is
grave and serious question. A great deal
is being said just now against the saloon
and the use of intoxicants, not more than
ought to be said, and yet we question IL
the State and country at large is not suf-
fering almost as much from the breaking
of Gods command to keep holy the Sab
bath as from drunkenness. There are thou
sands of drunkards who never would have
been such but for Sabbath breaking, and
when this day is observed a day of rest
and worship much of the drunkenness,
debauchery and crime that now affiict the
world will be done away with. AS citizens
we must stand by our Christian Sabbath.
The observance of this day has ever been
considered one of the strongest safeguards
of the Nation. Let not forget that the
misunderstanding nations of the world
to-day are the strong nations, while the
nations that know no Sabbath are the dy-
ing nations And there can be little doubt
that our own America that has recently
taken her place in the front rank of world
powers will in time, and sooner than we
think, be shorn of her strength when our
Sabbath is turned into day OF dissipation
and carouSal.
LAS you are all aware there is before our
Legislature at present a bill to legalize
Sunday baseball in this State. II the rep
reservations that are made by the advocates
of that measure are true the bill should
become law at once For II has repeat
eddy been declared that in towns where
thousands of enthusiasts or the manly sport
congregate to witness the game the moral
tone of the community is thereby elevated
to a higher plane. If that be true will the
advocates of the bill tell us how that re-
suit is obtained? Will they not point us
to a sample of their product in other
cities and tell us how legalized professional
ball on Sunday in this city will elevate
the moral standard of our people? If their
statement is true the explanation ought not
to be a difficult task.
MAJORITY FAvORS 1T.
1--WE are told also that an overwhelming
majority of the citizens of the State want
Sunday ball. Fly what method of investi-
CATION has that fact been ascertained?
May we not discover in this instance as
the newspapers and transportation COM
panies and labor leaders of Chicago did in
regard to the opening of the worlds fair
gates Sunday that the people are
against the proposed measure? When the
voice of all our people is heard it would
be surprising indeed if any less than
large majority should be recorded against
a measure that is so manifestly contrary
to the safety of the home. the peace of
the community and the whole moral law
of God. In questions involving morality
and justice the judgment of the masses is
seldom wrong and in this contention L
cannot imagine for a moment that their
verdict will sanction what the moral law
so clearly condemns. Some of our honor
able lawmakers may feel safe enough
while they are within our gates
with little circle of designing politicians
and lobbyists. but they should not forget
that day of reckoning is coming, and that
their vote in favor of this measure will be
sufficient cause for their constituents to
consign some of them to the region of
Before closing / want to express my re-
greet at the position the laboring men have
taken in this matter. Personally 1 am for
the rights OF the laborlng man first, last
and always. But to argue as one of their
leaders did before the Senate committee
on public morals that a game of baseball
on Sunday was the only innocent amuse-
ment open to the laboring man and his
family is a misnomer. Our parks open
and free to all our people, and not infre-
quent are those in attendance there fur
nished without expense musical attrac-
tons, the best that can be provided. But
the surprising thing to me is that they fail
to see that in their attitude on this ques-
ton they thereby not only prolonging
the possibility of day of rest from man.
ual labor, but are fastening upon them
selves the tighter the CALLING yoke of COM
mercial servitude. They are certainly more
than any other, by their own attitude on
this question, not only paving the way
for more Sunday work, but are hedging up
the way, for what seemed in sight for
them, Saturday half holiday. For it is
self-evident proposition that if laboring
men themselves stand for Sabbath desecra-
ton in the form of Sunday baseball, that
manufacturers and business corporations
will claim the right to keep the wheels of
commerce moving this day That
means more Sunday trains, increased street
car facilities and leads logically and in
evitably to the active employment of labor
in all the channels of trade. The position
therefore of some of the leaders Of labor
organiza atoms in favor of Sunday baseball
considered from the standpoint of day of
rest on Sunday and weekly half holiday,
is the one that they can the least afford to
take.