p. 18 | Additional Notes About the “Hearing” by F. F. Bliss

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 24, 1910

Additional Notes About the “Hearing”

By F. F. Bliss

The friends of religious liberty had given up all hope of securing another hearing on the famous Johnston Sunday bill. A special prayer-meeting was called at Takoma Park, and the Lord was most earnestly besought in the matter. The next day the hearing was granted. Not only so, but it was set for two weeks in the future, giving ample time for publicity work.

It being evident that a large number would wish to attend, the Religious Liberty Department requested the committee to secure a larger room, if possible, than the District Committee room, in which to have the hearing. To this the committee kindly agreed, and a room was secured which would accommodate three hundred or more. This was crowded.

Not a member of the committee had been sufficiently wrought upon to be led to ask a single question till the fundamental principles of legislative prerogatives and limitations began to be set forth by our people, but these brought from them some most searching inquiries.

The first speaker for the bill unwittingly gave away the non-congressional-favored character of the measure for which he was pleading, by reminding the committee of the number of years he had been fighting their unwillingness to enact such legislation.

One pitiful spectacle presented was that of one of the leading clergymen of the city complaining powerfully that for weeks his services had been disturbed on Sundays by workmen on the Masons Temple, which we have been informed is seven hundred feet from his church; while only a few blocks from his edifice is located our Memorial Church, within ten feet of which was erected an immense apartment house, of the noise of which constructive work we should not dream of complaining. F. F. Bliss.