Smyrna times., 1906-06-13

Much is being said at this time
concerning the running of Sunday
trains. Last Wednesday the min
isters of Delaware met in Dover
and took a decided stand against
the trains being run on the Sabbath
and intimated in case their impor-
tunities failed. they would bring
the law into effect. The action of
the ministers has aroused a great
deal of public sentiment for and
against. We do not wish to up
hold sabbath desecration, neither do
we wish to impugn the motives
of the good ministers, but we
question whether Sunday trains
will not be filling long-felt want
to our state. After all it is a
matter of individual opinion and
we are willing to accord every
man right to express himself as
he believes it. Personal abuse
never helps a cause. Men have
right to think for themselves. If its
wrong for them to ride on Sunday
trains, they are not compelled to
patronize them. On the other
hand Sunday trains can be and are
a necessity. 1t is satisfaction to
know they are at your service
when you want to use them;
4 5IfldcDelaware is not isolated from
other states of the Union where
Sunday passenger trains have been
run for years. 1t is interesting to
note the difference of opinion in
the matter of Sunday trains. In
this issue we publish a letter of
Rev. DR.. Watt in reply to the
Editor of the Morning News,
opposing the movement and the
reported interview of Chief Justice
Lore favoring the movement.
Chief Justice Lore, and his opin-
ion as a man and prominent
1aymen of the Methodist Church
must be reconized, says:
II do not believe the sO-called blue laws
can be enforced so as to prevent the run
ming of Sunday trains on the Delaware
Railroad. Why should it be any NOR,
of a desecration on the Sabbath e
use a train to attend church thar i
is to use a horse and carriage?''
The Lord provided Us with the goo,
things in life for our use, and when we us
and do not abuse them when we learn {,
govern ourselves and to love one another
who can say that we are not better for it
do not think the blue laws contemplate,
such modern conditions when trains OF
Sunday as well as other days have become
necessary part of our civilization Is
possible to stop the great arterial system O
the world even for day? | do not thin
SO;
Il do not question the motives of the min
isterswho are agitating the movement agains
Sunday trains," added the Chief Justice
''for l know them to be sincere, earnes
men, but cannot follow their judgmen
in this matter"
We have watched with some ir
terest the spirit of the press of til
slate and we fail, with one excer
tiou to find one editorial EXPIRE,
sion against Sunday trains. Mo:
all the state papers and it mu
be conceded that they are pal
ned by editorial writers abun,
dantly able to express the
opinions have had more or less
say on the subject Some
them are reprinted as follows
7iIford Chronicle Regards Movement Gran
The movement to be made by the Met
Odist ministers and others to stop runn
OF Sunday trains in Delaware, is another
those narrow and cranky views held by L
many of those who are working for the bt
interest OF the christian church. If {
newspaper reports as published, are corre
the movers are inconsistent. If one train
stopped, then all must be stopped, exec
"heTe IL luOerIefes with Interstate cofnmer'
and the powers of Delaware are impote
against the United States and of 9th
states. Then the trolley cars of Wilmin
ton and other parts of the state must
stilled: and, tins itself would-be hardsh
upon church goers, and prevent many fro
attending services regularly. The wol
has grown too much enlightened to rev,
back to the medieval, and we believe I'll
the Sunday trains are assisting in low
Delaware the church members themselv
as, notably, the Catholics in upper caste
Sussex County who now can attend tn
church at Dover as often as il is possible