The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-23

right to enjoy Sunday there has come
with 1t an extreme reaction against the
older Purltanicai principles. Much more
can be said for the Puritan over.obser-
ance than for the far too frequent nom
observance of the mere pleasure seeker.
There Is one marked difference: The
Puritan observance was done in the name
of relgion the modern laxity Is done
for selfish ends.
And yet my friends, who does not SYM
pathize with the thousands who seek
pleasure on Sunday? Even the Sunday
Baseball games In some of our cities have
ground of appeal to us for sympathy
Such sympathy comes from the recog-
milton that such a gathering has in 1t the
bond of common interest and widespread
cheer that makes so powerfully for the
social good. However, we recognize at
once that these things that win our SYM
pathies are characteristic benefits OF any
secular holiday. true regard for a
loyal Sunday keeping, loyal to the Fa-
theirs commands and loyal to tho chill
dren's best welfare, will have nothing to
do with the gathering Of people together
on Sunday to maintain the usual social
habit of the week day. Society, as such
must be out of court for the Christian
man and woman on Sunday.
The claim for recreation on Sunday Is
good and reasonable claim, but surely
there should be some change in our pleas
ures as there is in our business. Too many
Sunday golf players are insincere in their
claim for needful Sunday recreation as
witnessed by the fact that these same
men are often frequenters of the links in
week day as we'll.
chrIst's Conception of Joy.
The Christ's conception of joy on His
holy day was that there should be the
feeding Of our higher nature. that on
one day in the week the spiritual nature
of man might as the storage battery be
prepared for later demands. From a
sociological standpoint this makes for the
best that Is in man, raises him to n bet
ter state and condition. A mere world
ly pleasurable Sunday for any one of
us is just so much surrender on our part
of the common and highest benefit that
such day was breathed into human life
to be- There is In many congregations,
If I may say notably in many of our
southern Methodist congregations, gath
ering of the people on Sunday mornings
and evenings where somehow the spirit
of a healthy sense of common brother
hood maintains. The social character of
Sunday observance is strongly In evil
dence; not, mark you, in any spirit OF
soclablIty but in that uplifting thing of
n common hope and a common life knit
together for its highest and best purposes.
Let a people in any community feel this
sort of thing on Sunday and there is in
their midst powerful lever for the
sustaining of the best ideals.
2. Something must be said or the work
Sunday OF so many of our people: That
our business men would see more and
more the necessity of this day Of rest
for the physical mental and spiritual be-
Ing OF themselves, their clerks and their
employesl Much may be said for shorten
ed hours OF labor during the day; but
other volumes can be written of the young
men in our railroad offices, who are re-
quired to work Sunday after Sunday,
of the men who are given work to be
finished on Monday morning, of the men
who are expected to get in touch with
business on Sunday morning Just ito
see how matters are going" as 1t is so
frequently said
Advantage Taken.
These men are hampered in their being,
and right thinking men ought to be thor
oughly ashamed of the condition, and no
man who thinks of God and eternity
should be willing to bear a responsible
ity of this character. 1t may be quito
necessary to admit that some businesses
must go on every day Of the week, that
men may get even six days work, and
for other reasons that are self-eydent
II is truly alarming how much advantage
Is taken of the exceptional necessity. and
all manner OF work is beginning to claim
like necessity. Railroads can secure
more clerks and more trackage Get to
the very bottom of this thing and we will
find somebody making more dollars be-
cause some poor dog of fellow, who
can't help himself, Is working seven days
In the week.
Regulation of freight business on Sun