New-York tribune., 1920-11-29

visible means of support when it comes
to financing 'obbies, publicity cam
paigns and the like. And thev have q
very wholesome fear of the Rev. vii
bur FISK GRATIS record of writing laws.
handing them TO obliging members of
congress TO introduce and producing
the votes enough and to spare for thei~
passage.
Bureau Maintains Card Index
In the archives of the International
reform bureau at 206 PENNSYLVANIA
Avenue. ). f., Washington, there is
"onder1ul card index of the business
and professional men and women and
other citizens of standing Of everv
town and city in the United States i
was started quarter of century apo
with telephone directories as a nuclens
and DR.. Crafts has had corps Of
clerks adding to it and classifying the
names ever since.
1t is a sort of Bradstreet of reform
this index. But, instead of beinp.rated
financially, those whose names It con-
tains are followed by notations indicat-
ing their religious affiliations and atti
tude toward moral questions.
Let Senator or Representative
show signs of baking at one of DR..
Crafts's measures for the uplift Of the
among his constituents whose pre-
objections are supposed to be toward
reform are notified by mail or wire
Within few days the faltering states
man finds himself bombarded with LOT
ters and kilograms demanding that he
support the reverend doctors bill
More often than not the hesitatnc
lawmaker sees the light
Despite the splendid organization of
the blue law advocates their opponents
are not altogether without assistance
in combating the Puritan Sunday
movement.
The other day the Knights of Colum-
bus announced that their winter form
speakers throughout the country had
been instructed to denounce blue laws
IN the same breath with Red agitation
and yesterday at Trinity Church DR.
William T. Manning, its rector. de-
cared: "The return, by law or other
wise, to the Puritan observance of
sunday would be calamitous mistake
and great injury to religion"
DR.. Manning'S utterancc recalled the
assertion Of Mr.. Bowlby to a reporter
that the Protestant Episcopal Church
had indorsed the program of the Lords
Day Alliance. This. it was learned
yesterday from an authoritative source.
seems to be an error. The Episcopal
Church has never gone on record in
favor of blue laws and well informed
churchmen say the sentiment in
the denomination is overwhelminglv
against any such legislation.
DR.. Manning Discusses Move
DR.. Manning in his sermon said in
part:
This proposed campaign for stricter
Sunday laws is one of those we'll meant
but misguided efforts which do harm
instead of good to the cause they are
intended to serve. 1t is impractica Bile.
wrong in principle and based on mar
row and imperfect conception Of the
Christian religion. 1t would do far
more to drive religion out of the hearts
of the people than to draw them to-
ward it,
ave have no right to try to compel
religious observance of Sunday by law
The law should forbid all UNNECESSARY
business on Sunday, and thus as far as
possible secure to all their right to
Sunday as day Of freedom from their
ordinary occupations and of religious
observance if they wish so to use it.
Further than this the law may not
rightly go.
The present laxty in the observance
OF, sunday IS due in part to reaction
from puritan severity. Even in their
own day and time the Puritan idea of
the 0ay was a mistaken and distorted
one. The Puritans were great people
and the world owes much TO them, but
they made mistakes like the rest of
us. One of their mistakes was that
they took too severe and gloomy view
Of .fc and religion.
The observance of Sunday is based,
not On Sinai, but on the resurrection
OF Christ on the first day of the week.
The christian church changed the day
from Saturday to Sunday and at the
same time changed the idea Of the day
from. one of severity and restraint to
one Of freedom and gladness.
Church Has No Detailed Rules
Gas to recreations and amusements
on Sunday, the Christian Church has
never laid down any rules in detail,
though individuals and groups have
done so. The Church gives US the
day and leaves us to apply it accord
ing 10 our own consciences and circum-
stances
an the interest both of Sunday OBJ
serv9nce and religion we need to get
away from the Puritan idea of Sun
day. We need especially to avoid max
ing the day one of ilksome restraint
for our young people or making them
believe they are committing sin if they
indulge in wholesome and innocent
amNsements.
The church must not only allow but
encourage wholesome games and sports
on Sunday and the clergy, wherever
this is possible, should take part IN
them. At Camp Upton | used to attend
The baseball games on Sunday after
noon whenever | could and | certainly
did not feel my worship at other hours
was any worse for doing so.
at is not always easy to say where
The line is to be drawn, but two simple
rules will guide US sufficiently. We
should, of course, not allow our recrea-
tions and amusements to interfefe
with our worship and we should on
Sunday not encourage those particular
foTms Of amusement which are COM
mercialized and which needlessly obligc
large numbers of people to work and
deprive them of their right TO Sunday.
"But we must make it clear that the
Christian religion does not stand for
petty restraints and restrictions, for
gloom and severity, but for gladness
snd freedom and al that adds to the
GOODNESS of life. 1t is this we need to
help our young people. not any revival
Of the Puritan Sunday"
Opera Premiere Becomes
Rehearsal: Blues Feared