The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-17
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

What William Penn called "a public
mind" seems to be on the increase
among the serious thinking people of
the world. The big problems of the
day are receiving close and disinter-
ested attention. Small differences are
sunk In pursuit of a common goal.
Thus, throughout Christendom, the
problems of a proper observance of
the first day of the week is arousing
considerable interest. In Great Bri-
tain there is a Lords Day Alliance
which is officially sanctioned and
supported by the highest ecclesiastical
officials of the Roman Catholic church
the Anglican church and the Free
churches. All UNCONVENTIONAL differ
ences are put aside In order to unite
in a common defense of what is felt
to be a bulwark of all religion and
good morals. If Christendom loses its
rest day as holy day it suffers loss
beyond measure.
The example Of the churches in
Great Britain is big and noble. 1t
puts to shame the petty and contempt
fble conduct of some officials of re-
ligious bodies in the United States.
For the recent conference upon the
Lords Day held in Pittsburgh ended
in division, because of the claims of
rival organizations to the credit of
carrying on whatever campaign may
be inaugurated Such miserable jeaI-
ousies. in the face of great issues,
would be ineemprehensible had we
not the example of contending gener-
ais on the eve of momentous battles.
A similar experience is reported in
Pennsylvania where, in a committee
room in the state capitol at Harris
burg, the secretaries of the Pennsylva-
MIA and Philadelphia Sabbath associa-
lions, respectively, once got into dis
graceful squabble as to which should
have the glory for defeating certain
anti-S bbath legislation that had been
proposed. The members of the legis-
lature present were rightly disguised
at the spectacle. These unpleasant in
cidents are related in order to en-
phasize the point that the real defense
of the Lord's Day, as the triumph of
any other moral reform. is not secur-
ed by professional agitators therefor.
but by the active and spontaneous ex-
preston of Christian opinion. The Gus
tom RELOCATING reform work to hired
agents is reprehensible one. Those
who know intimately the sentiment at
law-making eenters understand how
frequently these men are regarded as
mere cenceited meddlers. It used to
be said at Washington that no matter
how good a bill might be 1t was in
danger of being defeated If certain
professional refermers publicly adEe-
Gated it. Good citizens cannot rele-
gate their civic duties to hired men.
Only the personal vigilance, interest
and activity of thoughtful men can
protect the sacred institutions which
are our Christian heritage.
Much of the perpievity which many
persons feel over the observance of
the Lords Day arises from cenfound-
ing it with the Jewish Sabbath, or
worse with the Sabbath of the Scotch
and English Puritans. The extra-le-
galists among the old Jews read into
the beneficent Sabbatical provisions
all sorts of irksome restrictions They
made Sabbath observance a matter of
minute regulations. These burdens,
too grievous to be borne, Jesus sum-
marily threw aside. Therefore he was
regarded as a sabbath breaker; and it
is curious that whenever Jesus appears
in connection with the Sabbath ques-
ton, it is usually as a yiolator of the
existing laws. He taught a liberal view
of the day. His conduct and words
stressed the truth that the letter kill
eth. The sabbath was never meant to
be a burden to man: much less the
Lords Day which has succeeded it.
Some. persons, to be classified with
the hair-spiitting legalists of Christ's
time, insist that Sunday observance
today is a matter of detailed rules.
Thus they are fond of making ahsti-
nence from street car riding a test of
keeping holy the day. As a matter of