Sunday in Newfoundland
By C. H. Keslake
For about three years the Newfoundland Lord’s Day Alliance has been in existence, but its success has been varying. Lately, however, we have been made aware that other factors are coming into existence, which may very materially hasten the formation of the image to the beast in this country. Especially is this true of a young and vigorous organization known as the Fishermen’s Protective Union. Although in existence only about two years, it now numbers many thousands, with local organizations in all parts of the island. That this union has some definite ideas and plans with respect to Sunday enforcement, has recently been made clear. Prior to Christmas of last year the local organization in Greenspond, which is situated in Bonavista Bay, notified the coast steamship companies and others that they would not henceforth be permitted to land freight at that place on Sundays. Their warnings were unheeded. On Sunday, December 25, the steamer “Fogota” arrived at Greenspond to land freight as usual. She was met at the wharf by a band of about three hundred members of the Fishermen’s Protective Union. A few of the leaders used force, and cut the steamer’s lines, thereby endangering her safety. As it was, she twice struck the rocks before she was brought under control. Subsequently these men were brought to St. John’s for trial and duly punished. The judge, a Roman Catholic, gave the prisoners a good talk on the subject of religious liberty, which was, indeed, quite orthodox from the Seventh-day Adventist view-point. He told them that they must remember that all people did not view the sabbath (Sunday) as they did, “if indeed,” said he, “Sunday be really the Sabbath day.” He would not, he declared, attempt to discuss the change of the day historically, and tell who of the popes effected the change, adding that if they knew where Sunday really came from, in all probability they would want nothing to do with it. (This point will be much better appreciated when it is remembered that they are Orangemen.) He pointed out the fact that there is quite a dispute at the present time as to what day is really the Sabbath, some arguing very strongly that the “Mosaic Sabbath,” which unquestionably is Saturday, should be observed. Referring to the defendants’ conduct in preventing the steamer’s landing her freight, the judge told them that in taking the course they did, they themselves were the greater offenders, and that in attempting to enforce the observance of the day, they had violated the law of the Sabbath. He told them that instead of using force, they should have prayed for the owners and officers of the ship, and that it is impossible to make men good and pious by whipping them. He ventured the opinion that the defendants, and others in Greenspond, were habitual breakers of the law of the Sabbath. The Fishermen’s Advocate, the organ of the Fishermen’s Protective Union, came out later with an editorial which clearly showed that this organization was at the back of this work. Praising the local organization at Greenspond for the stand taken in restraining Sunday labor, it encouraged others to do likewise. Thus it said, “Well done, Greenspond; we want every branch to follow your lead, and to defy the Sunday money-grabbers, and keep undefiled the one day devoted to the service of God.” In the Advocate of February 4, another article appeared, entitled “Keeping Holy the Sabbath Day.” In this the temper of the union was made more manifest, showing that the leaders purpose making short shrift of those who shall dare oppose them. In the following way the Lord’s Day Alliance is referred to: “There is a Lord’s Day Alliance organization supposed to be operating in Newfoundland. Is it dead? Is it asleep? Has it been watching the Greenspond fight to keep the Lord’s day holy? Let it be up and doing! Is there a God in Israel?—Yes, fellow fishermen, there is a God, and his all-powerful eye is over all. ‘He moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform.’” The article closes as follows: “He does ‘move in a mysterious way.’ Well, we shall see how he will move to help Greenspond Christians to uphold his day, and keep it holy.” There is no mistaking this language. What the outcome of this agitation in the island may be, I do not know. In the meantime we purpose to send marked copies of our Newfoundland Advent Messenger to every member of both houses, as it contains an article dealing with this Greenspond incident, and sets forth the true principles of religious liberty. We are doing our best to get our principles before the people throughout the island. C. H. KESLAKE.