The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-15
Letters To The Editor
Bow L0ng Shall We Have Sunday
 Freight Tfalns.

E0ltOr TneAQveftlo0f.
 T wish to appeal to the members of to prohibit by statute the hauling or handling of freight on Sunday in the State of Alabama. As citizen Of Alabama and an employe of railway appeal to you. and in making this ap- peal and request of you, I think that voice the most sincere wish of every railway employe. or great majority of them, in our great State.
 shall speak to you from actual ex- perience and close observation fin what I say on this matter, in this paper. declare to you without hesitation. that experienced, the result of continue ds Sunday labor has invariably proven most disastrous to every one engaging in it.. A man or woman who tries to do or. in other words. three hundred and sixty-dvs days work in every year. not only fails to do the work, but, to a great degree. weaken. himself men, tally. morally and physically. As proof any of the offices of the railways where Sunday. freights are operated. You will mark there. if you please, the pallor of cheek. the duliness of eye, made because of mistakes of the cm- ployes. In no face will you see the same force and strength that you find in the countenauce of every man who
 labors and does all his work in six days. and on the seventh day rests" nor will you find as efncient work lone by the seven day workingman.
 . in using your powers and privileges: rai1xs raen ana an,n bringing to the rescue or the law, and by this means. cutting out Sunday freight and Sunday labor. you are making better men and better citi gems of the thousands of railway em-
 You appropriate for each year thous- ands of dollars for the education of the youth of our State. to make Sood men and women and citizens of them. over the welfare of the thousands of young men and women, and older men. too. for that. who are toiling three hundred and sixty-five days in the railway corporations? We ask you. in all sincerity to prohibit this Sun day labor then. and there help us to make the very best possible citizens of
 Secondly. we ask you to prohibit Sunday freights and the labor that they necessitate, because 1t Is wrong in itself to work on the Sabbath. Our on the teachings and laws of the Bible The same voice that murdered from Sinafs top. Thou shalt not steal and Thou shalt not kill" commanded just as emphatically. "Remenber the the Sab. shalt thou labor. and do all thy work. but the seventh day Is the Sabbth of the Lord thy God In 1t thou shalt do no work"
 So, if 1t is wrong to steal. 1t is wrong to handle freight in any manner on the holy Sabbath day. You have at tached penalty to the slightest theft; then why will you not prohibit Sunday labor?
 The railroads will possibly declare to you that they cannot handle their work in six days. But such decI1ra- ton is on the face of itself false Why can the railroads not. handle their with all ease by the addition of Few more men and a few more dollars to the operation. But we all know that 1t is and has been the policy of all. or majority, of the big corporations p;S,u o,s to to the least possible investment. regard less of law, life or right. So MT. Bryan Is right when he defines a corporation as "a being with no heart to toucn; nor no tail to kick" It is my candid opinion, moreover, based on observa- tion as a railway employe. that an ad- ditional supply of men sufficient to re- lieve all employed of Sunday work would eliminate so many or the Ire. Ire way the additional force would pay. or almost pay their own wages.
 You may wish to know why those en- gagged in railroads business will con tinue under such circumstances' ms rms learned railroading feel that they are best suited for railroad work, just like the farmer wishes to farm. And the longer one remains in the railway em- ployment the less able Is he to get out turn to the law-making power Sf the Commonwealth to bring to his aH the strong arm of the law:
 Lastly, the prohibition Of sunday The great States of North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia have seen mt 10 prohibit Sunday freight trains within their borders. In those States the rail, roads handle their freight nsn easiiy fre,abi ahd trains has proven a success and bless ing. TWhy. then. should Alabama long, CT wait?
 Since. then. by prohibiting Sunday hay freight trains and the Sunday labor & that they bring you will be making better men and citizens of railway employees, and hence bettering your State and entire nation. and since you will harm no one, but on the contrary will insure equal rights to all corpora tions and individuals alike. and Will be merely following in the paths hewn by other States: and since t furshef, nesavor1 amo gre greatest tn e9ecate 9e a @ tHe Divine injunction uttered from Mt. Sinai. will you not I ask of you. as our law-making body. sneak in your authority ana crown the life and home of every railway em- pioye with the blessed sanctity Of ,ori the Holy Sabbath day? Yours Is glori- ous opportunity. for the duty that rests upon you is at white heat for your ac- tion. May it not be charged of you Tn the end that you failed An op YGnp Employe 5yes''
 tThe above is printed as an expres,, exp, g, sion of the wishes Of that element , or of freight trains on Sunday. We must he permitted to say, however. that the matter was thoroughly discussed be- fore the Committees of the Legislature and both sides given ample ts3po opportuni rani n,,ttee of railroad employees appeared in to the aean.t h the and expeS mane encv of the measure. They came from various portions of the State and dem onstrated that the bill would not only ba inc means of cutting down their Sa oes, but would keep them from home