The Washington herald., 1909-04-05

nc tNSl4Ag -ii4SL anniversary Or Eic EISl
hearing in Congress Of the Blair Sunday
rest bill was commemorsted at Foundry
Methodist Episcopal Church last night at
meeting under the auspices Of the In
ternatiOnal Reform Bureau and the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Former Senator Henry ". Blair. father
Of the Blair Sunday rest bill. presided as
chairman. and recalled that the first pub
lie meeting in the interests OF the bil was
held IN Old Foundry Methodist Episcopal
Church twenty-one years ago.
The exercises were opened by Mrs.
Clinton Smith, president Of the District
". c. T. I, who presided as temporary
chairman, assisted by Mrs. S. D. La Fetrs.
former president OF the local temperance
organization. and Mrs Mary 3. Catlin,
District superintendent of Sabbath. OBJ
Servance.
Blair in the Chair.
Former Senator Blair took the chair,
and following a musical programme. told
OF the need Of Sunday rest. He said
Sunday rest is essential 70 education,
physical well-being and moral and spirit
uai welfare. He said fl IS necessity IN
the development Of Christianity. and the
spread OF Christianity in America is due
TO the observance Of Sunday.
The speaker told OF the work done By
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. which years ago saw the relation
Of intemperance and abuse OF sunday.
The idea Of having national legislation
70 enforce Sunday rest. he said. was laid
before Congress seventy-five years ago,
but was voted out There, ne said mat
ters rested until the ". c. 7. Z. took
affairs into its own hands, and. under
the direction Of Or. Wilbur F. Crafts. OBJ
tanned signatures from thousands OF per
sons who demanded legislation.
Senator Blair told Of the long discus
siOns when the movement was brought 70
the attention Of Congress and OF being
chairman Of the committee 10 which II
was referred He referred 70 The trouble
10 get the bin drafted after the bearing.
This task was first undertaken BY Chief
Justice Steele. ne said but the difficulties
were so great that the lob finally de-
volved upon himself. He was hemmed in
by the Constitution, he said. and BY a
fear or violating interstate commerce
regulations. but finally had an inspira-
ton and named his bill the Sunday rest
bill
The caption Sunday rest he said.
appealed TO the masses Immediately. and
he soon had a strong following Il caught
the sentiment Of the people. and the bill
was passed
Mr.. Blair declared stricter observance OF
sunday is needed. and said work in that
direction would proceed until the mil
lennium IS reached.
Mrs. Ellis Speaks.
The next speaker was Mrs. Margaret
Dye Ellis. well-knOvn temperance ora
tor. who eulogized senator Blair for his
work in having the Sunday rest BIN
passed. She said al present only two
States. California and Nevada. have no
such laws, and the District OF Columbia
Mrs Ellis spoke OF the scent thea
ters In operation here on Sunday. She
said she had visited several a week ago.
but found nothing immoral
IAN the immoral pictures were put
away for Sunday she said
The speaker declared Il 10 be but a
short time until the United States would
be a temperance country. where Sunday
viii be rightly observed in every home.
Oscar Wilde. the creator OF Te-CTeatOr OF
Salome the Sel0me dance. modern stage
productions generally, and Iatter-day lit
erature. were denounced by Rev Wilbur
F. Crafts. superintendent Of the Interna-
tional Reform Bureau.
'Tt Is not free trade or free tariff that
meuaces the stability Of this and other
nations, but free love" declared Dr.
Crafts
In deCrying gambling. iEtemperance
and Sunday breaking. DR.. Crafts was bit
ter. but upon the stage and modern lit
erature he allowed the torrent OF his
vehemence full sway. Never since the
fall OF Rome. he declared. has such
naked immortality been placed before the
public as the death dance Of SalOme
He declared that the author who resur-
rected the dance Of death should be held
responsible for much OF the immortality
ia the country to-day.
Like Brother and Sister.
In opening his address. DR. Crafts said
the International Reform Bureau and the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
were Ike brother and sister. so closely
is their work associated. He praised the
work done by the temperance organiza-
ton. and said it was the duty OF every
church to egitate temperance and strict
observance of Sunday.
President Taft. Emperor William OF
Germany. and President Eliot, OF Har-
ward. were referred 70 by the speaker as
the type OF men who have turned down
the wine glass"
France Is the modern Babylon de-
clared the speaker. immortality, intem-
perance. and sabbath breaking are not
checked. and il viii not be long before
81 "a fw.rFf-
wickedness.'
DECAY OF THE TEETH.