Evening star., 1909-05-18
SUNDAY As REST DAY
Labor Rights Discussed by Ad-
ventist Speakers.
THE LAW AND RELIGION
Employers Right to Designate
Labor's Day of Rest.
REPORT ON OFFICIAL PAPER
Statistics Submitted by Editor of the
Review and Observation-Disclosures
Issued During the Year.

Some new ideas on the labor problem in
connection with restrictive Sunday legis-
lation were brought out at the meeting
Of the religious liberty department of
the Seventh Day Adventists' conference
near Takoma Park this morning. Elder
F.. Griggs presided and read a paper on
the question under consideration. A lively
discussion of the pros and cons of the
subject followed.
Prof. Griggs said that there was little or
no question as to whether Sunday legis-
lation of any description is and must
necessarily be religious legislation. But.
he argued, there is very much doubt
whether a law requiring employers to
grant their employees the right to rest one
day in seven, without specifying the day,
is. and must necessarily be in its final
analysis. religious. Elder j. s. Washburn
spoke briefly on the subject.
Following these speakers Elder r. L.
Russell, president of the central union
conference, held that it would be as con-
sistent for Adventists to engage in
movement to secure work for the unem-
ployed by legislation as to secure physical
rest for a class of citizens by the same
means. He thought it was the minister's
duty to preach the gospel, and leave the
settlement of the many abstract ques-
tions appertaining to laboring men and
their rights to other authorities than the
ecclesiastical to adjust and to settle.
Referring to the Constitution of the
United States, SO far as enforced labor
was concerned, he said 1t prohibited in
voluntary servitude by any, except as a
punishment for crime.
Outside the Law.
There may be an Industrial slavery
that the law cannot reach, he said; ''con-
ditions that never may be ameliorated
with satisfaction to all parties concerned,
but with this we can have nothing to
do, except at the risk of entangling al
liances that might eventually do our
cause of religious liberty more harm
than good, and result in very little. If
any, good to the labOring element The
sympathies of this people, true. are with
the oppressed and the downtrodden Of
every class Of citizens, but we cannot
depart from our fundamental principles
and the work of carrying the gospel to
all the world. without injustice to our
selves and the cause of labor as well.''
Other speakers that followed were Prof
w. A. Colcord, secretary of the Interna-
tional Religious Liberty Association; M. c.
Wilcox, editor Signs Of the Times; Editor
A. 0. TAFT, J. o. Corliss, field director
Pacific Religio-Civil Association; Elders
D. A. Parons. F. c. Gilbert. c. F. Nc
Vagh, c. H. Edwards, j. s. Wightman and
Amos Mitchell.
The Morning Services.
The early morning devotional service
this morning was led by Elder George B.
Starr. for seventeen years the foreign
to Australia and New Zea-
land. His special theme was the power
Of the love of God as manifested by our
to the heather in the Pa
~ ISl nd hnfio I'M onfS nf
the mighty power of the missionary S
love upon the Tonyan Islanders We're re-
lated.
At the main meeting of the morning
in the large tent. the time was devoted
to the consideration of the report and
work of the past four years of the Review
and Herald, the official paper of the
Adventist movement. Elder w. W.
Prescott, the editor in -chief of the paper.
presided The report of the work was
Office at Takoma Park, Elder S. N. Cur
tbs. He spoke of the removal of the
printing and paper plant from Battle
Creek. Mich. to Takoma, after the de-
struction Of the old building by fire.
Growth From Small Things.
When they first arrived in Maryland a
building was used, but this
was found to be too small and enlarge
ments have been made to its present size.
giving the workmen about 5000 square
feet of floor space. In May, 1905. there
were thirty-one names on the payroll. AT
the present time there are 1O2
During the year 1908 2OS,150 boun
books, 1o6956 tracts or pamphlets and the
five regular periodicals were issued
from this Office, the average circulation
does not include the special edition of
the Review and Herald which was is
sued in the interest of foreign missions,
which numbered $4,000. The papers
were gratuitously distributed and the
donations received as the rsult of the
statements contained in the papers
amounted to $4,000 above the cost of
the publication.
During the year two series of health
pamphlets have been issued and 1T Is the
intention of the managers to continue this
work until all of the points of health set
forth by the organization have been treat
ed and set forth as plainly as possible.
Foretells the Judgment Day.
Taking as his text Judgment on
Earth" Elder j. o. Corliss of California
preached a stirring sermon on the Ad-
yentist belief in the second coming of
Christ in the present generation last
evening in the main auditorium tent. He
declared that for certainty this genera
ton will see the elimination of the
things of this world. With great ferwor
he said that the work which has de-
volved upon the Adventists in warning
the world Of the coming judgment Is the
greatest duty that has fallen on any de-
Elder r. c.. Gilbert, converted Jew.
and in charge of the Adventist work
among that faith. said last night that
the Seventh Day Adventists are emf
nently qualified to bring the truth of
Christ to the Jews, because they believe
in the Old Testament as it stands. and
they accept the dictate laws of the
Bible as the inspired revelation of God
In other words. he said the Adventists
believe the whole gospel.