Christian Endeavorers and Sunday Travel.
The influence that is wielded by the Christian Endeavor Society in secular as well as religious affairs, was shown the other day by the action of the managers of several leading railways, in deferring to the wishes of the society at the cost of completely altering the time schedule of their trains. There was also shown, in connection with the same, the inconsistency that seems to be naturally born of devotion to Sunday observance. The facts are thus stated by the Chicago Chronicle: “Members of the Society of Christian Endeavor have compelled the officers of the three big railroads between Chicago and Boston, the Nickel Plate, West Shore and Boston and Albany, entirely to rearrange their time cards to avoid starting a special train bearing a delegation to the organization’s convention at the Hub from Chicago on Sunday. “A party of Endeavorers numbering 150 from Chicago and points west of here recently arranged for a special train to take the members through to Boston. By the schedule made out by the transportation people the train was to have departed from Chicago at 10:30 p. m. Sunday, July 1. “All details for the trip had been agreed on on both sides when the Endeavorers in charge of the affair discovered that the train was scheduled to depart from Chicago Sunday night and that the first hour and a half of the journey would be on the seventh day [first day] of the week. The consciences of the leaders of the party rebelled, and the railroad men were quickly sought. After a long conference on the question the transportation officers agreed to arrange a new time card that would start the train from Chicago at 12:01 o’clock Monday morning, July 2. “Though the train for the east will not start from Chicago until after the last minute of the Lord’s day has been consumed, many of the party from points outside who will go on the east-bound special will arrive in the city on the morning and evening trains from the west Sunday.” Of course, it is perfectly proper for the Endeavorers to refuse to travel on any part of a day they believe to be holy time; but the average mind will be mystified in trying to distinguish between the sinfulness of sitting in a train that is in motion on Sunday, and that of making the necessary preparations, on the part of both travelers and train men, to begin the journey one minute after Sunday is past. That is keeping the day in the sight of men rather than in the sight of God. Still it is to be remembered that men have had vastly more to do with making Sunday a412religious day than God has had, as may be learned both from history and from revelation; and from this fact it naturally follows that custom rather than consistency is regarded in the observance of the day. But consistency is ever associated with truth and right.