The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-06-21

schools, are the enemies OF the Bible.
These are not worthy OF our serious
attention. their objections call IA
little consideration. for he who Is an
enemy of the Bible can not be lover
OF the civilization that II has pro-
duced. They that love evil. hate
righteousness. Righteousness exalteth
a nation, but sin is a reproach to any
public"
Discusses American sababth.
"Our American Sabbath" came In
for a comprehensive handling by the
Rev. James II. Potts, editor OF the
| Michigan Christian Advocate. DR..
Potts declared that the Sabbath was
made for man and not for the Al
mighty, the church OF the devil.
THE American Sabbath Is the
Christian Sabbath sanctioned. devel-
oped and hallowed for Americans"
said DR., Potts. 1T is the twin boon
OF American liberty. Both were born
| of the noblest impulses and highest
aspirations OF the human heart
When In 1898, Robert Treat was
composing his sublime song. Adams
and Liberty the spirit of the people
was manifesting itself in a unique re-
gard for the Lords day. This is the
spirit of American liberty. and II
| differs from the ideas of old world
| liberty, but not more so than the
spirit of the American Sabbath diners
from that of the continental Sunday.
| The American Sabbath Is indigo
nous to the character and spirit or
this land OF liberty. II arrived with
the Mayfiower and every band OF Pill
grims indorsed II as they came. Its
religious spirit entered into the warp
| and wool of colonial rudimentary law.
1. became the cornerstone OF every
state. None of the early settlers ever
dreamed of making 1t day OF carous-
al or noisy travel, or of anything else
but rest and worship. We should
keep our American Sabbath true to
its best traditions and to Its most
benign purposes. We should insist
that II shall stand primarily for rever-
ence, rest and worship. all other ad-
yantages and features being inciden-
tai, and never to crowd out or crush
out the distinctive beauty. force and
quality of the Lords day.
Leave II To Europe.
Let Europe have her loose con-
tinental Sabbath IL she will; we want
none OF 1t. The American Sabbath
| for Americans should be the watch
word of every citizen Of the United
J States.
Our railroads deliberately put u
premium upon disregard of the Sab
bath by advertising special excur-
sions and nominal rates. Great
crowds of boisterous pleasure-seekers
/ throng these trains extending to every
/ hamlet and town throughout the state,
their pernicious example of disregard
for worship and contempt for all sa-
cred things.
/ Our newspaper publishers, too, put
/ their most strenuous endeavor into
/ their Sunday editions, advertising real
/ estate. with Sunday sellers on hand,
magnifying Sunday excursions and
other sports, making all secularities
and activities conspicuous, and send
ing out their armies of newsboys 10
shout their debasing wares and coin
their biggest earnings on the Lords
day.
! Our baseball magnates are storm
ing the legislatures of various states
to open wide the gates to Sunday
games that the day of God may be-
come the chief contributor to gamb-
| ling, sport and profit.
I'm our national capital, with shame
be II spoken, the continental repre-
sentatives OF the army and navy, and
even Of congress, yield to the sentf-
ments of diplomats and social bosses,
and attend the elaborate feasts al
bridge parties, attractive musicales
and hilarious dances, celebrating
every trace of worship and sacredness
from the day our fathers revered.
Honor to Mrs. Taft who refuses
to countenance these things. II the
Sabbath decorators are to rule Wash
ington, let them change it's name TO
Europeville, raze the washington
monument to the ground, and erect
on its comedy site another Chevy
Chase"
The Rev. ]. T. LeGear, of Lansing,
upheld DR.. Potts stand, and declared
that Ito make Sunday a universal
holiday and morality and religion will
surely decline"
Sabbath a Civic Necessity.
THE Sababth Is civic necessity"
said DR.. LeGear. 1T Is civil insti-
tuition as well as religious one and
its observance Is as much a matter
OF patriotism as of piety. II Is a ma
tional necessity that Sunday should
be observed as a holy days-a day for
worship and sacred contemplation. as
well as of rest. National greatness
and strength depend upon morality
and there can be no morality where
reverent observance of Gods day Is
broken. The deplorable tendency or
the day il to permit the claims OF the
body to rob the soul"
The convention was organized by
the Rev. j. s. McGaw. field secretary
of the National Reform association,
whose headquarters are In Pittsburg.