The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-16
The Sunday Question.

The Sunday Question.
OUR State Legislature has not yet taken any
decisive action on the proposition to secular
ize the Sabbath. In the meanwhile the
friends of the measure are working with great
industry, and hope to prevail. They contend
that a'maiority of the peop of the State, or
Of any particular part OF it in which it is pro-
posed TO medify the present law OF Pennsyl-
Vania respecting the Sabbath, should be
allowed to control the whole question. AS
suming this 10 be a sound and impregnable
ground on which to base their project, they
are daily sending to Harrisburg petitions.
numerously signed, in favor of divesting the
Sabbath OF all its sacredness as a divine insti-
tuition, and converting it, literally and in
deed INTO a simple popular holiday
But is it true that this question should be
affected at all, much less absolutely deter
mined, by the mere fact tuat those who sign
petitions in favor of abolIshng the Sabbath
outnumber those who sign petitions against
itp The Legislature should carefully con-
slider this point before they accord il the
credit and influence that are claimed for it.
In the first place, papers with printed head
ings, and signed, or purporting to be signed,
by individual citizens, are not safe means of
ascertaining public sentiment touching any
subject whatever. Signatures arc not only
forged, but the members OF the Legislature can
never know the character, the age, the sex, or
even the existence of majority of the signers.
1t may be that much more than half Of the
l>,I ft,n
names of women, of minors, OF aliens, and
even of dead men. 1t is, moreover, notorious
that signatures to petitions to the Legislature
can be procured as easily, and as corruptly,
as votes can be obtained at political cleo
tion. And, finally, mos persons are aware,
that it is a common subtertuge, practised by
those who are interested to carry some specific
measure through the Legislature by popular
petition, to take the names signed to prayer
for an unobjectionable object, and attach them
surrepttiousy to prayer for very different
purpose. THIS nas been done over and over
again; and as it is mode of practising gross
fraud on the intelligence and integrity of the
Lawmakers of the Commonwealth, they should
be especially careful how they permit them
selves to be controlled In their action by any
such unreliable expedient. In short, when
ever it is proposed that the Legislature shall
enact particular law on the ground that a ma
iority of the people of the State are in favor of
it, The only safe and proper method OF proceed
ure is, to submit the question, In advance, to
the suffrage of the legal Uoters of the State,
or of the town, city, or county that is to be
exclusively aGected by it, and then act ac-
cordingly.
But there are some matters that are not
properly subject to even that S Irt OF treat
ment, and the Sabbath is one of them. Gods
authority is above mans authority, aud Gods
laws should never, in any Christian comnu-
nifty, be annulled by human legislation
When, therefore, the law makers of State
are asked to change the essential character OF
a divine institution, they are really required
to deliberately repeal the legislation OF the
Almighty, and set the sovereignty OF the
creature above the sovereignty OF his Maker
If it is true and we think it cannot be
doubted) that God appointed the Sabbajh q;
a period of time in which man aad beast
should cease from worldly labor, ald "hal
lowed it," also, as a day to be devote
especially to His honor-to spiritual uses an,
worship-then, surely no earthly Legislature
should dare to infringe, in the slightest pos
sible degree. that supreme ordinance.
Our legal system has, thus far, rested OF
the fundamental principle, that no Legislation
of ours that clearly contraVenes Gods Law
valid. Let US never depart from that sur
and firm anchor of all sound human clviliza
tion, order, peace, and prosperity. No socia
organization in this world that is built on an
other foundation can possibly endure. 1t ma
seem to flourish for season, but its speed
dissolution is inevitable. He who made thi
earth, and made man TO inhab.t it, sui
jected 1t and its tenants to ordinances as wis
and absolute as those which hold the stars i
their places, and the planets in their orbits
Neither can be violated with impunity
Harmony reigns in the universe of matter