The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-12-10
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE

and disgusting reform fanatics.
During the excitement of war we
overlooked the wild-eyed dumbbells
who found an excellent opportunity
to spout their scatter-brained bowls.
They found lucrative openings Cleft
by red-blooded men who went to
France, where they could take adj
vantage of the abnormal conditions,
in rounding up people who wanted
to do something, not knowing how.
They headed drives for funds for
everything from the poor moth-eaten
fieas of the FIJI Islands to the chill
blamed Icelanders. And people gave!
They gave again. They kept on Civ
ingi Every other day was tag day.
And in the confusion of giving and
soliciting some of these professional
drivers and Performers" got away
with everything short of murder. They
addressed women's clubs, schools,
mass meetings and communities until
they felt as if they had the world by
the tail with a down-hill pull. They
grew sleek and pampered and insinu-
ating and craftily cunning.
Then the war ended. Cor at least
we thought it did,
And the average man and woman,
fed up on war crys and campaigns,
wanted a rest. The men wanted to
go home evenings and Sundays and
sit in their stocking feet and smoke,
Or water the lawn or stoke the fur
mace The women wanted to darn all
the hose they had neglected and talk
comfortably over the back fence and
90 shopping without being robbed.
But mol
We came to find out that what we
had thought had been the H. C. of L.
was in reality the H. C. of Drives"
And the drives" continued to flourish
But they soon found that the aver
age American had retained some of
his hard-headed horse sense. And
soon the drives" stopped.
But the fanatic did mott
He found himself out of a job. He
( had had sway so long he became
spoiled He couldn't stand being
ignored.
What happens?
Like measles they began to "break
out"
And so we have a drive" on now
to re-estabiish the "Inquisition" of the
Dark Ages
They are clawing, tooth and toe
nail, 20 get avs forbidding you and
me from get ing our shoes shined on
Sunday or eading the newspaper.
They are trying to prevent you from
taking the wife and kiddies to pic
mic on Sundays, or taking a whole
some, and healthful drive in your own
or a friends car.
In other words, they are going to
try and legislate you into attending
church on Sunday, whether you belong
or not.
They are going to make it crime
for you to go out on Sundays and
tramp Gods footstool and drink in His
fresh, free airl
And this by the "ex-drivers" Of the
Anti-Saloon League! They found it so
profitable to drive" for the sincere
people who gave their money to get
prohibition that they want to kill the
goose that laid their golden eggl
The poor dumbbells!
1t cannot be conceived that upright,
conscientious Christian people are go
ing to be herded into such a disgust
ing campaign!
Says DR. w. T. Manning, of Trinity
Episcopal Church, New York City:
"The Christian religion does not stand
for petty restraints and restrictions,
but for gladness and freedom and all
that adds to the goodness of life. 1t
is this which we need to help our
young people and to bring them near
to God, and not any revival of the
Puritan Sunday"
This is admirably stated. 1t will
be agreed to by all broad-minded
church-goers.
The Rev. Joseph Mahoney, of St.
Johns R. c. Church, Lambertville,
says he does not approve of this move
ment and will refuse to endorse it.
This is significant.
In the past the Protestant church
has bitterly condemned the Catholic
church for it's Spanish Inquisition"
and like seventies of past ages. Yet
today, in an enlightened era of sup
posed freedom, the Protestant church
contributes its ministers and adher
ents to this worse than Spanish In
QUESTION
1t is repulsivel
Rev. Harold NJ. Dorrell, of the First
Baptist Church, Lambertville, says he
is convinced that reform must come
from within" and not from with
out" He believes that the Puritans
freedom. and not a religious tyranny.
He is right!
A Puritan Sunday must be "free
Sunday a day when man can wor-
ship as he sees fit. 1t is an Indictment
on the churches themselves if they
admit their failure by lobbying" for
laws to force people to fill their pews.
A church becomes contemplate under
such circumstances.
Dr. Thomas ]. Bensley, of st. An
drew's Episcopal, Lambertville, says:
Oppressive measures which deny
to our young people the capacity for
legitimate means of recreation on Sun
day swiftly drive them to seeking
illegitimate recreation"
This is a bold statement, but an
examination Of it reveals more than
a justification. For instance he gave
an illustration: A few Sundays past
he was walking outside the town. He
suddenly came upon a crowd of boys
indulging in the intellectual pastime"
of shooting Craps" DIR. Bensley
contends, and logically too, that if
there had been ball game these boys
would have preferred it to ''craps."
He furthermore justifes his posi-
ton by calling attention to the fact
that God is universally accepted as
giving man the knowledge of good
and evil" And that God does not
force man to do good, but gives HIM
the power of reasoning and leaves