The Ten-Million-Signature Petition
By Editor
According to the Chicago News, itself a strong advocate of Sunday legislation, Rev. Joseph W. Morton, of that city, has brought forward another argument to show that it is impossible that the Sunday-law petition that was presented to the last Congress could have contained ten million signatures, as its friends claim. "To contain ten million signatures," says Mr. Morton, "would require at least 166,667 sheets, making more than 347 reams, which, at the average rate of twelve and one-half pounds to the ream, would weigh more than two and one-sixth tons. The length of the petition would be a little more than sixty-three miles." We think that this calculation is very moderate, but we don't think that anybody will claim that over two tons of paper was piled up before the Speaker's desk at any time last year. The News says that "Mr. Morton is very confident that no such petition was ever presented to Congress on any subject." And so are we, not merely from calculation, but from positive statements made under oath by the one most active in pushing the circulation of the petition.