The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-14
ON SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page.)
lieve the Bible, and lost all faith in the
existence of God. it would not affect, in
the smallest particular, this institution
Of the civil Sabbath, or the foundation
II which 1t rests.
Tie men who are taking up the fight
for a Sunday observance, in accordance
With the law, are not laboring in the
interests Of religious fanaticism, but in
the interests of civil liberty.
The Christian Sabbath, as men call
1t, is a civil institution; and all the evil
dence goes to show that our prohibitory
laws as a whole-those laws by which
the institution is safeguarded-
squarely upon the inalienable rights of
man himself
The speaker now considered for a
time the laws prohibiting popular
amusements on Sunday and the laws
that have to do with the regulation of
necessary labor on Sundays, and, pro-
ceeding, said;
THE state wisely concludes that
Sunday amusements of certain order
tend to impair the morals of the people.
Therefore the state prohibits such
amusements, not In the interests of the
church, not even in the interests of re-
ligion, but in the interests Of the state
itself-in the interests of the perpetuity
of her free institution"
AS to the laws dealing with the reg
ulation of labor on Sunday, the speaker
said this subject appealed to him with
particular force. 1T is perfectly legiti-
mate to agitate against open theaters,
open shore resorts, open baseball
grounds, open saloons and an open
Woolsey hail. But the right Of man
to one days rest in seven was one of
widest Importance.
THE fight that is on in this Ameri-
can nation to-day is a fight against
greed stark-naked greed. In the in
terests of greed men are prostituting
all the high ideals Of honor and justice;
they are outraging every principle of
brotherhood; they are making the
teachings of Christ a mockery. The
workingmen of America are bound hand
and foot by this shameless passion for
gain. Again and again they have pro
tested, Organized labor has declared
itself in numberless resolutions. The
American Federation of Labor has pro-
tested, petitioned, threatened-all to NO
avail.
How shall I'VE curb the greed Of men
who are buying and selling our Unborn
rights? Curb 1t we must, or the stir
ring chapter Of American history Nil
close in some sudden tragedy. 1t Is
this conviction which is actuating oui
president in hi smagnifcent fight
against the railroads and the Standard
Oil company.
Somehow Il have faith that the
American people will yet win in this
fight against ,passioness greed. What
ever may be the fate Of the religious
Sabbath / believe that the American
workingman will yet win his fight for
civil Sabbath.
The world must be going Sunday
No man claims that entire cessation
from labor Is possible.* Take al
an illustration this matter Of handling
freight on great railroad. ! am con
WINGED that a measurable amount of la
Dor is necessary. Certain goods arr
perishable and must be rushed with al
speed to their destination. On most o
the roads freight traffic is so heavy tina
without Sunday work serious conges
ton would result.
THE public should be willing to pa!
an extra rate for the Sunday labor de
manded. The corporation should re
duce the hours of labor as far as pos
sible.
Were it not for organized labor il
the United States the workingmen o
the nation would be In a condition o
slavery utterly intolerable.
"There never has been an industrial
reform in the history of the world tina
has come down from the top. Their
has not been single political or indus
trial gain looking towards liberty ant
the equalization of conditions that la
not been wrung by the people them
selves from those who have authorit.
land wealth.
"The people who profit from thi
overtime and underpaid labor are you
lmy friends, with whom l dine occasion
, ally-you who own the stock of tn
road. The chief blame, In most of thes
Industrial struggles, is not, after all
> with the officials, but with the public
! greedily clamcring for larger dividends
! 1t is the public that is responsible 70
+ such a sentiment as shall make thes
q lruinous conditions of labor impossible.
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