Middletown transcript., 1906-06-09
x1DDIETovE, DEL, JUNE ., 1905.
4 MINISTERIAL BLUNDER


Dover, decided to take steps to
secure the stopping of Sunday
trains over the Delaware Rail-
road, have made a serious blum
der. one which willin no wise add
to the success and influence OF
those taking part therein. AT
the outset, we want to say that
we are as earnest in a desire for
a clean and wholesome obser-
vance Of the Sabbath as is any
one of those who attended the
meeting. We have never tray
elled on a train on Sunday except
twice, and those were occasions
which we considered necessary.
But we have not the desire te
say, THAT those who can go on no
other day, without serious incon-
venience and financial loss, shall
be debarred from visits of pleas
ure or business because we do
not care to travel on Sunday.
We think that to take this posi-
ton is to say that the poor or
middle class man, who depends
for his existence upon his daily
labor, and to support whose fam
lily it is necessary that the head
of the family shall make all the
days possible, that such a man
shall be required to stay at home,
possibly in the heat and noise OF
the city, while the rich man, able
to own his automobile or horse
and carriage, is free to come and
go, to enjoy the fresh country
air, and to visit his relations or
friends.
For years, many of them, the
same Railroad Company which
owns and operates the Delaware
Railroad, has run through the
State of Delaware, on Sundays,
and every Sunday, many trains.
Every Sunday there is and has
been for many years operated as
many freight trains as are neces-
sary to move the traffic For
many years the Sunday news
papers have been delivered to all
points on the main line of the
Delaware Railroad. 1t is the
custom to have certain commodi-
ties of a perishable nature deliy-
cred on Sundays, for instance we
have known of preachers who
have had their ice, ice cream,
meats, oysters or such luxuries
kept for them in the dealers cold
storage and delivered on Sunday.
This was a saving to the preach
ers. But with all these and other
infractions of a strict Sabbath, |
we have never heard of a meet
ing called to take such action as
was that of Wednesday.
And such action To have the
employees, the men whose liveli-
hood depends on their obeying
the orders of the Company that
employs them, arrested at the
end of their run. To be consis-
tent, the arrests should be made
before the start. This would at
east save the men arrested FROM
lesecrating the Sabbath, even if
t did not stop the Sunday trains.
This question of Sunday trains
ior the Delaware Railroad was
discussed in the papers for weeks
Ind months before the Company
;ook the action resulting in giving
jhe people what they seemed to
want. Novoice of pro est was rails
I'd. Then was the time I'd have y
gotten up their remonstrance
5hen was the time to have Sc
cured signers to the proposed pc
5ition. But now, after IL e trains
nave proven their necessity, and
nave been run for two Sundays
Ind well patronized too, to un-
lertake to arrest the crews will |
add nothing to the dignity nor
reputation of those responsible
Tor the deed. This is not the age
Of blue laws. 1t is the Twen-
,ieth Century and thepeople who
i've in Delaware south of the
Jhristiana Creek, (beg pardon
River) have just as much right to
enjoy the freedom Of travel occa-
stoned and furnished by Sunday
trains as have those who reside
above that natural ~ boundary
IF light and darkness. No one
IS compelled to use these trains,
but those who want to do SO, are
Ind should be, at liberty SO to
10.
OLD DRAWERS