The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-23
LARGE AUDIENCE
HEARD SABBATH PLEA
at Barre Opera House Last Evening
at a Joint Service of Several
Churches.

opera mouse iast evening, hev& cS II
Kneeland Of Boston, secreta - 4 th
New England Sabbath Pre-, sc league
first day Of the week, taking for hi
subject, "The Continental Sabbath.
Pastors and congregations from severa
churches in the city united in the unor
| service, while musicians who led the
| singing and contributed solos during the
evening were also drafted from several Of
the church choirs.
DR.. Kneeland prefaced his remark
with a condensed history OF the organi
zation which he represents and told
about the fast-growing movement for the
old time observance of Sunday. Lat
terly his address was largely concerned
with description of the Lords day OBJ.
servance in several continental countries
| Observations made on his recent trip
through Europe were mentioned by way
of comparison with customs extant in
America, and the speaker sounded a
timely note OF warning against the pres
ent-day tendencies toward Sunday OBJ
servanee as it is carried on in France
Germany. Belgium, Italy and other ma
tions OF Europe.
Rev. +. i. Newell, pastor of the He'd
ding Methodist church. made the invo-
cation at the opening of the services
and Rev. j. b. Reardon Of the Univer-
salist church read the scripture lesson,
The speaker was introduced by Rev.
Duncan Salmond pastor of the First
Presbyterian church, and Rev. ]. w.
Barnett of the Congregational church
pronounced the henediction. Congrega-
tional singing was led by Rev George
II. Holt of the First Baptist church, and
he in turn was assisted by a ladies'
quartet from his own congregation.
Mrs. Ronald Gauld sang twice during
ne services. The meeting partook of
y nature OF a rally for saner Sunday
observance, and no small degree of in
terest was manifested in the plea made
by Secretary kneeland.
The Lords Day league of New Eng
land, with which is affiliated the New
England Sabbath Protective league, was
incorporated in 1898. Its object has
been to maintain the observance of Sun
day as a civil rest day and a day for
religious uses, and defending il against
ure Its methods include organization,
agitation and education, the protection
and enforcement of Sunday laws. and
the securing of better legislation in the
interests of the workingman and of good
citizenship. Among its directors are
Hon, John ID. Long, IL. d.. of Boston,
Rev. w. Fl. vanAllen. S. T. d.. of Boston
Rev. J, Galbraith, d. d., Boston. Rev
4. z. Conrad, ID. d., of Boston, r. II.
Gibbs of Brookline Mass, Rev. II. A.
Hersey of SOmeryille. Mass. and Rev
Thomas Van Ness OF Boston. The di-
rectorate includes a clergyman and lay
members ofua half-dozen denominations.
Senator Carroll $. Page Of Hyde Park
is among the vice presidents.
DR.. Kneeland declared that the ques-
tion of Sunday observance is composite
picture of all the great issues that face
the world to-day. The task of deciding
whether the first day of the week is to
be given over to business, pleasure and
other secularities is one which involves
the solution OF many other trying prob
lens Lately there has been a tremen-
dous influence for introducing the con-
tinental Sabbath in America, he stated,
by a steady wave of sentiment against
a change. He attacked the class of peo-
pie who favor Sunday baseball and said
he had heard that the national game
was played on Sundays down in Ben
nington. Afterwards he told of an at
tempt to play the game in Boston Sab
bath day and OF how the authors of this
effort were suppressed by the Protective
league. He believed that the same law
would prevail against the baseball play |
FRS in Bennington. Dr. Kneeland denie,l |
that Roman Catholics were lined up in |
favor of more liberal Sunday observ-
,nce and quoted Cardinal Gibbons as
being squarely opposed to any relaxing |
VI the present manner of passing the
lay.
Much of the speakers address was
devoted to his tour through Europe as a
of the Protective league
lie declared that conditions in England,
Scotland and Wales more nearly ap-
,roached the ideal Sabbath than any
,ther countries he visited. In Belgium,
Holland, Germany. Austria, France, Italy
md Switzerland. however, he asserted
hat the situation was actually alarm
ng. From his general impression of
europe he concluded that the early hours
# the forenoon were devoted to church
.oing by some, while others did not at
end at all. Toward noon the stores
'egan to open. and by o'clock all man
Ter of places, such as eating houses.
aloons. dance halls, wine halls, race
racks, bull fights, theatres and the like,
we're wide open and frequented by
rowds of people. Even at Oberammer
lau, the scene of the Passion Play, he
eclared that the Sabbath quiet was
udely disturbed by gamesters at their
LAY and other breakers of the peace
Before finishing with Europe, the speak
r took parting fling at Monte Carlo |
nd decried the circumstances that made {
uch fostering place for vice possible.
he clergymans purpose was plainly to {
raw lesson from the iniquities of {
European Sabbaths, and he continually I
ointed out the danger of transferring |
he customs of Europe to American I
hores, An envelope collection was tax i
n during the services in support of the {
lovement. q