p. 32 | Roosevelt and the Sunday-Law Movement

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 2, 1908

Roosevelt and the Sunday-Law Movement

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT was waited upon by an influential committee of Sunday-law advocates on March 23, and strongly urged by them to assist in bringing about a stricter observance of Sunday in the District of Columbia. The spokesman of this committee was Justice Harlan of the United States Supreme Court. Other members were S. W. Woodard; President Needham, of George Washington University; Rector O’Connell, of the Catholic University of America; Presiding Elder Sumwalt, of the M. E. Church; Gen. Geo. Otis Smith, Admiral Endicott, and Dr. Wallace Radcliffe, of the Presbyterian Church. Justice Harlan maintained that there was a growing disregard for the sabbath (Sunday) in the District, and laid the blame for this upon the absence of a Sunday law, and he desired the President to co-operate with the workers for the sabbath in bringing about a better observance of the day. The press report of the visit of this committee says:—

“President Roosevelt placed himself on record to-day as an ardent sympathizer with the movement for a more strict observance of the sabbath. He told a committee that called upon him that he would do all in his power to aid in putting a stop to unnecessary Sunday work, but added that he, as well as they, did not believe it advisable to return to the Puritan sabbath.”