The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-05-21
SUNDAY REFORM.
Some Facts Showing the Vorld-N ide
Record OF the Movement.

Some Facts liz ing the NoEid-N fdc
Record OF the Movement.
The following facts have been COM
piled by Rev. r. +. Campbell. D y,
Of Asheviile. yice-rresident tfor North
C%arolina) Of the American sabbath
Union.
Last July the Dominion Of Canada
passed the strictest and most sweep
ing Sabbath Law vet enacted by any
Nation, even surprising Australia
famous law 1t is termed The Lords
Day Law of Canada and goes into
effect March /. 1907. 1t was jealous
ly supported by Protestante and Ro-
man Catholics allke This statute
abolishes all Sunday excursions. By
steamboat. railway. or trolley, closes
all places OF amusement, forbids all
sports and games and the publication.
sale or importation of Sunday news
papers. For the first time in history
q graded penalty for different classes
OF violations has been prvided.
Great Britain has been aroused Oh
this crucial question lately as never
Gently in London. the Lord Mayor
presiding. in the interests of the i'm
Teriled sabbath" Protestant, Roman
Catholics and Hebrew all united in
this popular demonstration.
a leading Jewish Rabbi delivered
tiA SoAI % VIZ kilaL tioioAF CA AIS-t
" appealing to the people to save the
Nation BY projecting the First Day Of
the week as the NatinaI Day of Rest.
A Parliamentary Commission has
been appointed to Investigate this
whole subject wit ha view to recon-
mending proper legislation for pre-
serving the Sabbath commercially, po-
htically and religiously.
During the past fifteen years on h
continent. laws protecting the Sunday
as a Day of Rest, have been enacted
in at least eleven different Countries:
@ remarkable movement affecting a
considerable part of the continent Of
Europe.
After a years thorough investiga-
ton, by a special commission appoint
ed by the Government. the French
Chamber of Deputies last July, by the
remarkable vote Of SIS to 1, passed
the law for a compulsory weekly dav
of rest. This is IN the basis OF social
economies. The provision applies to
all labor. Each worker (even in no.
tells. telephone exchanges, etc.) mus
have tW~enty-four consecutive hours
some other day of the week, if obliged
to work on Sunday, n one-third Of
the 80 rest days required in each year
must be Sundays; and all this under
the direct authorization OF govern
nent. This law took effect last Sep
TENDER. Since that time the an
nouncement has ben made by the
leading French railways that they
will give ffty-two weekly rest days in
the year to all their men.
Belgium, a Roman Catholic county.
has abolished. by statute. 2.227 Sun
day trains. The result has been, rs
the Minister of Railways informs us.
that there has beer more than so per
cent. decrease in fatal railroad acct
dents due to any fault of the employ-
eeS.
Switzerland was the first European
country to enac and apply practically
the Fifty-two Weekly Rest Dav law
for every railway and trolley laborer.
l nat was five years ago. At the end
of the first twelve months, the report
showed a whole Year without a single
fatal accident on railway or trolley,
When will America learn the lesson
taught by the experience Of these
countries? The Interstate Commerce.
Commission Of the United States. in
August, 1906, reported that there
nave been on an average these last
eleven years. nearly forty accidents
daily on railroads alone, an average
OF tWenty-one persons killed every day
of the year. The total was S4244
persons slaughtered and 555,5S5
manned or injured in that period. A
terrible record The numerous and
horrible railway disasters Of the last
two or three months of the vear 1906
verify the statement Of the Inter
state Commission. that in two wears.
1908 and 1905, compared with previ-
Gus years. there was an increase of
nearly 100 per cent in the number kill
ed by railway accidents. Seven DAYS
In the week of r~ailroading and trolley
labor, being continuous toll for weeks
and months, units any many physi-
cally. nervously, mentally and morally
for efficiency and reliability.
The Spanish Government passed a
Sunday Law three years ago. closing
docks and Administrators during the
greater part OF Sunday-and even
prohibiting the publication and sale of
newspapers.
1t SENS strange that the Continent
tai sunday" repudiated in Europe.
the land of its birth, should be well
coined in America as a desirable i'm
migrant. But the time is at hand
when We may boldly say to his
stranger, "Tekel: Thou art weighed in
the balances and art found wanting. :