Religious Bodies and Sunday Closing
By Editor
The Advance of December 1 has the following in its leading editorial, entitled "Congress Again on Sunday Opening":— But the action of nearly all the religious bodies in the United States, with the exception of the Roman Catholics and perhaps the Episcopalians, in all their several assemblies, conferences, associations, conventions, and so on, from largest to smallest, local and national, had nothing to do with any "Sabbatarian associations," but was the direct expression of the most considerate convictions of the members, and through them of the great mass of those whom they represented. Indeed! "Had nothing to do!" "Considerate convictions!" Is the Advance so ignorant? or does it design to willfully misrepresent the facts in the case? Almost every paper of note knows, and the Advance ought to know, that all the religious bodies nearly which have taken any action at all relative to Sunday closing are part and parcel of the "American Sabbath Union," the energy of which has been exerted through comparatively few individuals. It may be said that "American Sabbath Union" and "Sabbatarian associations" are different terms, which is true, but the former is a latter in the sense intended by the Advance. How many who have petitioned for Sunday laws have any convictions at all about the matter?—Few indeed.