Increase of Sunday-Law Sentiment.
One of the largest meetings in the interests of Sunday laws held in this country was held in Carnegie Music Hall, New York City, December 16. Among the speakers were Judge Arnoux; Bishops Potter and Doane, of the Episcopal Church; Father A. P. Doyle, of the Catholic Church, who spoke with the approval of Archbishop Corrigan; Dr. Buckley, editor of the Methodist Christian Advocate; Dr. W. H. P. Faunce, Baptist; Hon. Warner Miller; Dr. C. L. Thompson, Presbyterian; Hon. Frederick E. Coudert, the famous lawyer. The New York Tribune gave six columns to the report of the meeting. The Christian Advocate says that it “was the largest and most representative meeting ever assembled in the city of New York. Every seat in the large hall was occupied; the topmost gallery was crowded, and many persons were standing in the lobbies, while many hundreds—some say thousands—were unable to secure admission. More than two hundred ministers of different denominations were present. The list of vice presidents included many prominent men in every walk of life in this city. Every denomination of Protestants and the Catholic Church were represented in the audience. Two-thirds of the assembly were men, and, as the Tribune justly says: ‘Men of opposing political belief sat shoulder to shoulder and applauded the speakers who denounced the power of the rumsellers, and declared in favor of maintaining the American sabbath.’ The New York Times says: ‘The audience seemed to include the leading members of the regular congregation of every prominent church in the city. The demonstration was imposing by its great size and eminent respectability.’” Mixed with the Sunday-law sentiment was much that was good in the way of temperance. But the temperance question and other proper issues are used by Satan to take the curse off the Sunday laws. A Sunday law, a bald out and out religious law, would be rejected by every intelligent American, but coming before them as a temperance measure, as a sort of beast of burden necessary to bring the temperance measure in, it deceives men in all walks of life. But once place the Sunday temperance law on our statute books, and it will not be the rumsellers who will suffer most, but conscientious followers of Christ. A few years ago such a meeting as the above, sandwiched with temperance though it were, would not have been possible. Public sentiment is now, however, crystallizing rapidly. The reason for this we will, the Lord willing, give next week. The times are ominous. History is making rapidly.