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Lord's Day Alliance Meeting in Baltimore

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 29, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 9.

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Lord's Day Alliance Meeting in Baltimore

By S. B. H.

On Thursday evening, February 8, the Lord's Day Alliance of Maryland held a mass-meeting in the First Presbyterian church of Baltimore, at which Governor Goldsborough, ex-Judge A. S. Niles, and others spoke on the subject of the better enforcement of Sunday laws. The twelfth chapter of Romans was read as a lesson; and while the reader emphasized the admonition, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,” still, the tenor of all the speeches made seemed to be an appeal to men to take into their hands the protection of the Sabbath of the Lord. In other words, the Lord's Day Alliance proposes to take upon itself the duty of avenging the non-observance of the Sabbath.
In his speech on the Sabbath as a national asset, Governor Goldsborough said some very good things in regard to the power and influence of example.
He took pride in being the executive of Maryland, and referred to that State as being “the cradle of religious liberty.”
He had promised to “clean up” Baltimore, but insisted that he must have clean men with whom to accomplish the work. He advised the people to let him know all about the antecedents of any man who was seeking public office, and if any were unfitted by character to occupy said office, he would refuse to appoint them.
The striking points of the governor's speech were:—
“There is need in Maryland for the death, burial, and resurrection of things political, and I intend to do my part as the executioner.
“The laws upon the statute-books must be enforced while I am governor. I have sworn that they should. I intend to appoint a police board that will think as I do on this point. And when the men I shall appoint take office, and their influence is felt, the Sunday laws of Baltimore and Maryland will be observed through fear, if not through respect. . . .
“No man will continue in office under me who does not observe Sunday, and who has not a good character. . . . If any of you knows aught against the character of any applicant for public office,it is your duty to tell me about it, and, if you are right, the objectionable man shall never sign the State pay-roll.”
  • (Concluded from page 19)
Ex-Judge A. S. Niles, speaking on the same subject, “Why We Should Retain Our Sunday Laws,” said that for one he was glad Maryland had such a governor as Governor Goldsborough promises to be. He held that the object of the Sunday law was not to make men go to church, nor to prevent men from drinking on Sunday if they wish to. “It is desirable,” said he, “that men should go to church, and that they should not drink on Sunday; but if men desired to go to church, the opportunity, under the Sunday law, would be given therefor; and if a man desired to drink on Sunday, he could buy his drink the day before.” It was evident that the judge stood for the protection of the day rather than for the protection of the rights of the individual. He maintained that the Sunday law is a platform upon which all can stand, the atheist saloon-keeper as well as the Christian. Judge Niles admitted that some laws were obsolete, but insisted that the essence of the present Sunday law—one day out of seven for rest, is not obsolete and must be enforced.
In summing up the claims in behalf of the need of a Sunday law, he said:—
“It is up to every man to show that these claims are wrong, or to join the alliance for the purpose of enforcing the Sunday law.”
He said that the people who should favor Sunday laws may be divided into three classes, the Christian, the laboring man, and the patriot, and hoped all these classes would see that the law is obeyed. The Christian should be stirred in this behalf, he declared, because of his religious convictions concerning Sabbath observance; the laboring man, through the influence of the labor unions, should demand the observance of the Sunday law because of his selfish interests; the patriot, because of his love of country, should see that the law is obeyed because it makes for the moral betterment of the citizenship. When all these influences are aroused, there will be little fear of the repeal of the law, which, in his judgment, should not be repealed.
Secretary Davis, of the Lord's Day Alliance, submitted a brief report in which he referred to the fact that of the eight vice-presidents of this Lord's Day Alliance meeting, one was the former governor of Maryland, another the present mayor of Baltimore, another the president of the State Senate, another the speaker of the House of Delegates. The two legislative officials wrote letters regretting the fact that they could not be present, but indorsed the alliance in its move for better Sunday observance.
The meeting was not very largely attended, but considerable enthusiasm was evoked by the speeches of the gentlemen above referred to. As the legislature is now in session, this meeting will doubtless be followed by some move in the direction of making the Sunday law of the State more stringent or amending it in some way.
S. B. H.