News and Miscellany

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 25, 1873

News and Miscellany.

“Can ye not discern the signs of the times?”

Railroad Sunday Work.

THE following discussion of this question took place a few days since in the Legislature of Michigan:—

Mr. Grant’s resolution to inquire into the expediency of passing a law to prohibit the running of railroad trains on Sunday, called out some little discussion. Mr. Buell thought a result of passing such a law would be to drive through-freight traffic to roads passing through other States. Mr. Ripley said that the detention which such a law would make would be very injurious to stock on stock trains. Besides, some of the roads transport the United States mails on Sunday, and the Legislature had no right to stop the mails.

Mr. Grant stated that last summer when he was visiting in Lynn, Mass., he noticed that there were no Sunday trains on the Eastern road although there were eighty-four trains a day during the week between that place and Boston. If the people of Massachusetts could get along without Sunday travel, those of Michigan ought to be able to do the same.

Mr. Buell argued that the case of the Eastern road was not parallel with that of roads in Michigan. The former was a merely local road, while the Michigan roads were parts of great through lines. The only way to reach the evil complained of was to have a general law covering all the States. He would join in a resolution to Congress to pass such a law.

Mr. Shaw said every employe on the railroads was subject to the same penalty for Sabbath-breaking as other men. He saw no necessity for a new law.

Mr. Blackman thought the law ought to be so that the companies, instead of the employes, could be prosecuted. The employe is between two fires. If he works on a train Sunday, he is liable to penalty under the State law. If he refuses, he is liable to be discharged by the company. The trouble was not in the individuals, but in the system.

The resolution was adopted.