Untitled article by W. H. M.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 23, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 25

"The Gentleman from South Carolina."

By W. H. M.

A POSTAL card has been received at this office, postmarked South Carolina, and signed, "A South Carolina Man," bearing these words, "Your criticism, June 9th, No. 23, of Hon. Geo. Johnstone is unjust and wrong."

If this gentleman from South Carolina will obtain copies of the Congressional Record of the dates of May 26 and 27, and read the report there published of the proceedings of the House, while in consideration of the Sunday closing of the World's Fair as asked by the amendment, proposed by Mr. Johnstone, to the clause in reference to the Government exhibit at the World's Fair in the sundry civil appropriation bill, he will there find a record such as would justify a far sharper criticism of the course of the Representative from South Carolina, in this matter, than has appeared, or will appear, in this paper.

At this time the House had under consideration the matter of further appropriation for expenditures necessary to the Government exhibit at the Exposition. The general management of the Fair was not under discussion in any particular. The subject matter brought to the attention of the House was confined to the exhibit to be made by the Government, and that alone. And yet, ignoring this fact, Mr. Johnstone offers an amendment, "That no part of the amount hereby appropriated shall be available unless the doors of the Exposition shall be closed on Sunday." Mr. Johnstone's intent, by this amendment, was to make the United States Government say to the World's Fair Managers that although Government appropriations to a large amount had already been made both for the Fair in general and also for the individual exhibit of the Government, yet if the Fair should be opened on Sunday the Government would forfeit all this and refuse to make its individual exhibit. Mr. Johnstone's own words show that this is what he intended, for, in replying to Mr. Taylor, of Illinois, he said:—

As this paragraph relates to the exhibit to be made by the Government of the United States, this limitation upon the appropriation would simply mean that this exhibit by the Government shall not be made unless the World's Fair corporation consents to have the Exhibition remain closed on Sunday.

And again in another place:—

The amendment if adopted would simply mean that the agents of the Federal Government, before they could get the use of this money, would have to get an agreement from the World's Fair corporation that the fair should be closed on Sunday during the Exhibition.

And yet again in still another place:—

The point I desire to emphasize by my amendment is that this appropriation of money of the American people should not be expended at all unless the institution upon which, or in connection with which, this fund is to be expended shall be closed on Sunday.

And again, at the close of the second day's discussion when the substitute offered by Mr. Dockery, "That the Government exhibits at the World's Columbian Exposition shall not be opened to the public on Sundays," had been adopted, Mr. Johnstone, in his zeal to condition the exhibit of the Government upon the Sunday closing of the entire Fair, offered his previous proposition as an amendment to the substitute, even after that had been passed as the completed action upon the subject and there was nothing before the House.

Mr. Johnstone's zeal in this matter is shown by the Record which names him as being on his feet thirty-seven times in the course of this discussion. Mr. Johnstone offered the proposition; he assumed the responsibility of precipitating the discussion of this question upon the House, and just as far as he could he showed his dissatisfaction with that which was done in the matter, although it differed from that which he wished done, not in kind, but only in degree. The kind of legislation asked, and which was secured, is religious legislation. Is legislation upon religious questions contrary to the Constitution of the United States as it was established, or is it not? If it is, as none will deny, Congress was estopped by the Constitution from legislating at all upon the Sunday question; and Mr. Johnstone with one hundred and thirty other Congressmen not only ignored an express provision of the Constitution, but Mr. Johnstone attempted to delude Congress into inserting in an appropriation bill a measure indirectly compelling the Managers of the World's Fair to themselves yield obedience also to a religious edict formulated by Congress and made an essential part of the appropriation for its own exhibit.

If Mr. Johnstone's course in this matter were really being made a subject of critical examination, what characterization could be used which would do him wrong or injustice? W. H. M.