New-York tribune., 1920-11-26
Strict Sunday
Laws Indorsed
By'M. Z. Bishop
Berry, of Philadelphia, Says
90 Per Cent Of Protcstants
aud Many Catholics and
Jews Favor Day of Rest
Appeals to Workingman
Asserts Movement to End
Observance Is Step To-
ward Z Days of Work
Special. Dsspotc}. to The rrouns


ATLANTIC CITY, Nov. 25.-Bishop
Joseph F. Berry, of Philadelphia, who
presided here to-day at q meeting of
the board Of bishops of the Meth odist
Episcopal Church, asserted that the
Church would support enthusiastically
the campaign which the Lords Day
Alliance intends to start in thrty-nine
states to obtain laws compelling strict
observance Of the Sabbath.
Not only would all good Methodists
support the project, he said. but so
would 90 per cent Of all FrotesJants,
many Roman Catholics and numerous
Jews. Baseball and theater magnates
and other opponents Of the idea had
selfish motives, he said and were not
inspired, as they asserted, by a de-
sire to preserve the rights of the
workingman. The workingman, the
Bishop said, should be the strongest
supporter OF such legislation, rs other
%ise he would have to work sevcn day
4 week.
Objects 10 Blue Laws
Bishop Berry took occasion to de
clare that ne objected strenuously to
the term "Blue Laws" saying that it
n&s term of "derision that the news
.apers ought to omit" The laws for
Sunday are no bluer than the laws for
the regulation OF gambling, counter
feiting or burglary. he declared.
Sunday is an American institution,
school or trial by jury" continued
Bishop Berry. "Any tendency to break
down the laws for the observance of
Sunday is a direct attack upon an in
stituton that is peculiarly American.
"The implication of much that is
published in the newspapers on the
Sunday question is that those who are
in favor Of strict Sunday observance
are small company of fanatical peo-
pie. Such is not the case. The truth
is that 90 per cent of the members Of
the Protestant churches of the United
States are for careful Sunday observ-
ance, and that large numbers Of Cath
olics and even Hebrews take the same
attitude.
"The class of people in this country
that should stand like rock for Sun
DAY laws are the laboring people.
"If Sunday becomes secularized. it
will mean seven days work for the
laboring man. That would be an out
rage, for he is entitled to one day of
rest week
"The people that are pushing for
the destruction Of the Sunday law are
the proprietors of theaters, moving
picture houses and professional base
ball nragnates. They are agitating os-
tensibly in the interests of the labor
ing people, when, in fact, the agita-
tion is in the interest of their own
pockets
Would Protect Sabbath
"In closing, it is to be understood
that the Methodist Episcopal Church
stands enthusia astically behind this or
any other purposes to protect the
American Sunday"
Louis H. Chalif, of 1863 West Fifty
seventh Street, wrote yesterday to the
Board of Bishops of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, in session at Attain
tic City, protesting in behalf of the
New York Dancing Teachers Society
and the American Conclave of Dancing
Teachers Societies against the att-
tude of the Church toward dancing
and against the amusement laws in it's
Book of Discipline.
1--WE shall continue to urge the aboli-
tion Of these blue laws he wrote.
"as did memorials last spring from
many Methodist annual conferences
including the New York, New York
East, New Jersey, Newark, New Eng
land, New England Southern and Cen
tral Pennsylvania; also the Chicago
Preachers Meeting. Notwith standing
these and other petitions, the Meth
odist General Conference in May, at
Des Moines. ostrich-like. by agreement
refused to discuss this question out
side of private committees, and even
retained ban on the circus"