American Sentinel, vol. 5

April 17, 1890

“Front Page” American Sentinel 5, 16.

E. J. Waggoner

The organ of the American Sabbath Union say:- AMS April 17, 1890, page 121.1

Judge Hutchins, acting police magistrate, Cleveland, Ohio, recently discharged Barber Charles Schuler, one of the Weddell House men arrested in January for violating the State law against common labor on Sunday, on the ground that Sunday shaving is a work of necessity. It is expected that all the hotel barber shops, and most of the others whose proprietors do not favor Sunday closing, will be thrown open Sunday, as the barbers are satisfied that no convictions can follow their arrest for violating either the State or city ordinance upon the subject. AMS April 17, 1890, page 121.2

This is a little more liberal than the decisions of some of the southern courts. In Tennessee and several other southern States quiet, inoffensive men have been fined and imprisoned for no other offense than that of working upon Sunday for the support of their families, and that after having conscientiously kept the seventh day according to the strict letter of the divine law. If shaving is a work of necessity in Ohio, certainly the cutting of wood ought to be a work of necessity in Georgia, and plowing corn ought not to be a punishable offense in Tennessee. The whole thing goes to show the injustice of treating as a crime on Sunday that which would be considered perfectly proper and even commendable upon any other day. AMS April 17, 1890, page 121.3

“Back Page” American Sentinel 5, 16.

E. J. Waggoner

The Colorado Graphic remarks that “fortunately for the dignity, intelligence, and discretion of Denver’s Christian clerical force, only a minority has taken active part in the Sunday-legislation movement.” AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.1

The report is being circulated to some extent that some of the judges on the Supreme Bench of Wisconsin are Roman Catholics, and hence the late decision on the question of the Bible in the schools. We have it upon good authority, and direct, that not one of the members of that court is a Roman Catholic. The decision would be just and right, however, even if every one of them were a Roman Catholic. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.2

The report of the Treasurer of the National Reform Association, at its recent annual meeting, shows that the receipts of the society for the past year were $7,179.13. Of this amount $5,374.61 had been expended, mostly in salaries to District Secretaries. The work of the society is not however represented by this sum, for a good deal has been accomplished by special secretaries who work without remuneration. Secretary Weir reported that he had preached one hundred sermons on National Reform topics to audiences aggregating twenty-one thousand persons. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.3

The following paragraph, in a private letter from Baltimore, Maryland, is evidence of the rapid tendency toward strict formality in Sunday observance, and the readiness of municipal authorities to undertake its enforcement by city ordinances:- AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.4

The ringing of milkmen’s bells, and street-car bells has not been stopped in the city of Baltimore, on Sunday, as yet. But there is a city ordinance pending (introduced at the last sitting of the city council) which does call for the bells on horses attached to street-cars, to be removed on Sunday. Also, that milkmen’s bells are not to be rung on Sunday. This ordinance has had its first reading, and been referred to a committee. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.5

The city Comptroller furnishes this information, and gives it as his opinion, that the ordinance will pass, in due time. He also informed me, that this was in accordance with the best wishes of the Protestant ministers and their congregations of the city of Baltimore. By request of the ministers of the city in the form of a petition to street-car managers, nearly all the street-car bells have been left off the horses on Sunday, voluntarily, but not by city ordinances, as yet. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.6

It seems, at first thought, peculiarly inapt, that Baltimore, the earliest home of knightly aristocracy, should be the first, in this millennial dawn of the new era of municipal religion, to undertake the enforcement of a Puritan Sunday. That such should be the case, is food for thought. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.7

Had the “wise man” lived in this age, he might have added to the four things which were too wonderful for him, a fifth,-“the way of a politician with the Church.” AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.8

Rev. R. M. Somerville, of New York, an ardent National Reformer, likens Christ when excluded from civil government to a captain at sea, having a vessel and a crew, but being prohibited from entering any harbor. He does not explain wherein the likeness consists, but as a vessel in such a condition would be liable to be wrecked, Mr. Somerville must regard the Lord as in imminent danger of losing his craft (the Church) because civil governments deny him the aid of their puny strength. This is only to say that without the aid of the civil power, Christ’s mission must fail. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.9

In a speech in Congress a few days since, Representative Dorsey, of Nebraska, said that the only opposition to the admission of Idaho was on the part of Mormons, who objected to the provision in the Constitution disfranchising them. This is not strictly correct. The National Reformers also object to the admission of Idaho, but for a different reason, namely: because the Constitution under which the State is seeking admission forbids religious instruction in the schools. The hope was expressed in the Washington convention that Congress would not admit Idaho with such a constitutional provision. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.10

The Weekly Witness, a religious paper of this city, remarks that AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.11

As a meddler in politics the Church of Rome is always and everywhere an unmitigated curse; just as any Protestant church would be which should insist on being reckoned with, as a church, in all matters of administration, and especially in the dispensing of public moneys. We are very decidedly opposed to the religious teachings of the Church of Rome, but in so far as it limits its teaching and claims to matters of religion we are prepared to treat it with respect as an institution which has as good a right to exist as any Protestant Church. When it steps out of its proper sphere, however, to make money out of politics, then it is time for Protestants of all denominations and of all parties to unite in opposition to it. If any Protestant Church should take a similar position it should meet with the same condemnation. But no Protestant Church would dare to do so, or could obtain the support of its own members if it did. The Roman Catholic Church is different from all others in this country, except the Mormon Church, in that it is essentially a political institution; always has been so and always must be, because it claims absolute and universal sovereignty as the authorized representative of Christ the true King and Ruler of the world. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.12

This criticism is certainly just, as applied to the Romish Church. Any political church is a curse whether it be Rome everywhere or the Mormon Church in Utah. And yet this is just the position National Reformers and are determined that the Protestant Church as a whole shall assume. They demand that the several Protestant bodies shall make common cause and insist on being reckoned with as churches in all matters of administration. If the Protestant churches shall do this, as they seem inclined to do, will they not then be just as much of a curse as the Papal Church, and for the very same reason? The question admits of but one answer. Does it not follow that the real friends of Protestantism are those who desire that the Protestant churches shall have nothing to do with politics”? AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.13

The true spirit of National Reform, though carefully concealed in the Washington Convention by most of the speakers, cropped out in President Sylvester S. Scovel’s address on the “Limitations of Liberty.” Referring to our foreign population he said that if necessary they should “be educated with the bludgeon, and if the offense was repeated, with the blunderbuss.” It was formerly considered necessary to kill people in order to save them, but that method of preaching the gospel has not been much in vogue for some time. It is evident however that the National Reformers hope to be able to revive it. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.14

The Associated Press of Reforms is the name of a new quarterly publication which the “Reform Syndicate” of this city has just launched upon the treacherous sea of polemic journalism. The whilom field secretary of the American Sabbath Union is the manager of the syndicate, and as the new paper is a “special publication for publishers and editors of periodicals,” and as the matter which it contains is secured by copyright, and as the copyright articles are to be released for re-publication for twelve dollars per year, or furnished in plates at very reasonable rates, it seems that the principle object of the syndicate is to get their “reform” matter into country papers which are printed largely from plates, Mr. Crafts is, it must be admitted, fertile in expedients. AMS April 17, 1890, page 128.15