The Cincinnati Daily Star

THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
Meeting Last Night at the Grand Hotel--Appointment of a Sabbath Committee.

As announced yesterday a meeting was called for last evening at the Grand Hotel, for the purpose of developing a plan of action looking to the reform of abuses and violations of the Sunday law. Among those present were the following gentlemen: Hon. Rufus King, Rev. E. D. Ledvard, G. Y. Roots, J. B. Chickering, Rev. C. H. Daniels, E. D. DeCamp, Jacob Burnet, Jr., Geo. B. Johnson, Richard Dymond, Wm. Glenn, George F. Davis, Rev. H. B. Ridgaway, D.D., Jno. Cochnower, Philip Hinkle, Abner L. Frazer, Rev. I. Newton Stanger, Major H. P. Lloyd, William Davis, M.D., C. W. Cole, A. H. McGuffey, Larz Anderson, Jr., Wm. Taylor, M.D.; Rev. S. W. Duncan, D.D.; A. Judson Davis, Chas. W. Rowland, Hon. R. M. White, J. P. Walker, M.D.; Wm. Glenny, Capt. Charles Johnson, B. P. Goode, M.D.; Sam. Davis, Jr., W. F. Thorne, Theo. Cook, Wm. J. Breed, H. W. Sage, Rev. Philip Runyan, Geo. M. Hord, John Dale, D. G. A. Davenport, R. A. Holden, W. H. Doane, H. W. Hughes, Samuel Lowry, Murray Shipley, Rev. J. N. Irvin, William Woods, H. A. Morrill, Hugh McBirney, Rev. Thomas H. Skinner, D.D.

Mr. Theodore Cook was elected Chairman, and Mr. H. W. Sage as Secretary.

Dr. Ridgaway, Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements, reviewed the past history of the agitation. He thought that an organization, similar to that in New York, should be established here to enforce the Sunday law.

Mr. Charles W. Rowland made similar remarks.

Letters were read from Bishop Jaggar and Archbishop Purcell, who could not attend the meeting. They were in favor of taking wise and practicable action towards preventing the desecration of the Sabbath.

Numerous letters from other prominent men were received, and all expressed sympathy with the movement.

The following preamble and resolutions were adopted:

"Whereas, Both natural and divine law sanction one day out of seven, commonly called the Sabbath, as the people's rest day, in the rightful possession of which it is a fundamental duty of civil governments to protect them; and

"Whereas, It is the verdict of history that the observance of the Sabbath in the cessation of common labor, by which the opportunity is afforded for needed rest, for religious worship and family culture, lies at the basis of good government and social order; and,

"Whereas, Our Federal and State Governments recognize the Sabbath as a civil institution by making it a non-legal day, and do provide in some measure for its due observance by relieving its officers and employees of all unnecessary work during its hours; and,

"Whereas, The facts in Cincinnati do plainly show of late an increasing encroachment upon the Sabbath by the common pursuit of secular business by the opening of theaters, dance-houses, and other places of amusement, by the indiscriminate sale of intoxicating liquors, all of which and similar abuses do tend to demoralize the community and to utterly subvert the true design of the weekly rest day; we, therefore, in our capacity as citizens of Cincinnati, without regard to party, sect, or nationality, deem it imperative that some decisive action be taken to rescue the day from all such aforesaid abuses and to restore it to its legitimate honor and decorum.

And to accomplish this result, we earnestly recommend the immediate formation of a committee composed of twenty-five laymen, to be known as the "Cincinnati Sabbath Committee," which committee shall take under its care the origination and promotion of such measures as in their judgment shall best secure the ends herein contemplated. We furthermore recommend that this committee shall have power to fill all vacancies which may occur in its numbers, and shall be self-perpetuating."

The following compose the Committee of Twenty-five:
J. P. Walker, M.D., W. J. Breed, J. W. Dale, Wm. F. Thorne, John L. Stettinius, E. P. Bradstreet, C. W. Rowland, George W. McAlpin, C. H. Gould, Peter R. Neff, George F. Davis, Theodore Baur, Rufus King, Francis Ferry, Gardner Phipps, Thomas Gibson, Murray Shipley, John Shillito, Louis Manss, Theodore Cook, A. H. McGuffey, W. H. Taylor, M.D., A. H. Hinkle, M. B. Hagans, R. A. Holden, S. F. Covington.

Dr. Skinner offered the following resolution:

"Resolved, That it is the judgment of this meeting that the committee now appointed should employ, at a reasonable salary, a person who shall be styled the 'Secretary of the Cincinnati Sabbath Committee.'"

The resolution was adopted; after which the meeting adjourned.