Year: 1877

A bill has been introduced into the
lower House OF our Legislature, to pro.
hibit the opening Of shows, exhibitions
and places Of amusement on the Lords
day, if a fee is charged for admission
on that day. 1t provides that any per-
son charging, taking or receiving fec
for admission TO such places on the
Lords day, shall be liable TO fine Of
not less than twenty-five, nor more
than five hundred dollars, and to i'm.
prisonment for not more than ten days,
or both, or either, at the discretion Of
the court. Also, that the license of any
person so offending shall be vacated,
VOID and of no effect, and the charter
of any corporation SO offending shall
be forfeited and that it shall be
the duty of the Attorney General TO
proceed against said company to have
such forfeiture legally declared.


The measure has been reported favor
ably from the Committee on Vice and
immortality, to which it was referred.
1t is briei, explicit and in harmony
with the existing laws of Pennsylvania
and other States on the subject
of the Sabbath. The necessity for
its passage arises from the fact that
our present laws were framed many
years ago, and that the slight penalties
which they provide are insufficient TO
restrain highly remunerative exhibi-
tions, owned in some instances by
wealthy corporations, and iostered by
railroad companies who have an inter-
est in the travel they occasion, from
opening their gates, for purposes Of
revenue, on the Sabbath. In the city
of Philadelphia at present the Academy
of Fine Arts and the geological Garden
are open every Lords Day at the usual
rates Of admission, and the usual at
fractions of the latter place Of resort
have been placarded for two summers
over New York and Jersey City and
intervening towns as an lnducement to
fill special Sunday Excursion /" train
to Philadelphia. The Permanent Ex-
hibition Company which now owns the
Main Building of the Centennial Exbi-
bition Company, has declined, as yet.
TO adopt any rule against opening on
the Sabbath, and controlling portion
of its stock is understood to be held by
the railroads centering here and the
street railways of Philadelphia-the
same parties from whom came nearly
all the pressure for the opening Of ,he
Centennial Exhibition on the Sabbath.
There is a general and profound con-
viction among the best classes Of our
citizens that the owners Of such insti-
tutions have no ground on which they
can clam exemption from the law
which prohibits secular labor and
traffic ON the first day Of the week.
Nothing in this law will prevent them
from opening their gates freely on that
day to the working-classes, if they
choose TO do so. No restraint will be
laid hereby on the individual liberty Of
any citizen, but it protects the rights
of a certain class of employees who are
now unlawfully and unjustly required to
labor on the Sabbath for the amuse-
ment of others. 1t is felt by many
that if the attempt to break down the
defences OF the day of rest at this point
cannot be successfully resisted, other
and grosser forms of Sabbath desecra.
tion will follow, and the demoralizing
consequences will be felt through our
whole State.


The whole question of public exhibi-
tions on the Sabbath was considered
by the American people in connection
with the late Centennial Exhibition.
The decision was rendered with unmis-
takeablc emphasis and gratifying unan-
unity. The arguments for opening
other exhibitions can never be as strong
as those which were then so emphati-
cally denied, and Pennsylvania will do
herself honor by Incorporating the de-
cislon then reached into her statute
book


The state Of the country at the pres
ent time invites and enforces any
measure which may help to sustain
the cause of COED morals and religion,
and rebukes all who would raise their
voice against 1.-THE Christian States
man. philddeiDhid