The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-12-16

Nh EDITOR: "Sumptuary laws" says
/ Webster, are abridgments of liberty, and OF
I very difficult execution They can be justi-
fed only on the ground of extreme neees-
sity-" Such necessity arises, presume,
when men require 10 be restrained from the
commission Of crime, or acts of violence or
disorder. But when laws are made and
strictly enforced which restrain a man from
peaeeably enjoying himself in the way in
which he chooses, without detriment to, or
Interference with the rights of his neighbors,
and without scandalizing public morals, such
laws are clearly sumptuary in their nature.
Such are all euaetments, the object and aim
of which Is to eoeree men in matters of re-
ligious belief, or to compel them to regulate
heirpriyate conduct in reference to any such
belief All these attempts to eurtaIl personal
liberty, besides being unwise and unjust,
from their difficulty of enforcement, fail of
their object, are evAded, or else lead to worse
evils than those they are professedly intended
to cure. When Law is of such a nature that
it becomes odious to those who most seusibly
feel its operation, the result is that it becomes
eontemptibIe in their eyes, and they resort TO
every artifce to evade it.
These remarks apply to tue Sunday law of
this country, so very strict in its terms and
so rigidly enforeed-and for this no one can
blame the officers charged with its execution
that doubt if its parallel can be found in
the statutes of any other country on the
globe If you require an orange in case of
sickness, it cannot be had of the fruit dealers
for love or money on Sunday, for Sunday is
fabH. Not only is AL worldly business "
forbidden on that day-to which none viii
object as general rnle-but all recreation or
pleasure is forbidden. To be sure, the prae-
tiee does uotgo so far as to forbid one taking
walk on Sunday afternoon, or ride, 1t may
be, on ones own horse, but it is tabu to let a
horse for hire glass of beer, wine, or
spirits, is, on Sunday, in the words Of the
poet Slightly improrcdl,
monster Of such hidesus mien,
That to be hated. must not here be seen
In short, though We don't quite come up to
the old '' Blue LAWS" of Connecticut, where
a man, as veritabIe history tells US, was fined
for kissing his wife on Sunday, yet We ap-
proxinate as nearly thereto as possible.
The result of all this straight laeing in re-
gard to the observance of Sunday is, that re-
ligiou and the cause Of good morals, instead
of gaining ground. have lost. Tie difficulty
Of procuring any kind Of refreshment on Sun
day drives men of certain classes aud temper
zments to bouse freely on Saturday nights
and carry home a supply for the next day,
aud thus drink more than they otherwise
would, were the system adopted here that Is
pursued in England, Of allowing the public
houses to be open during certain hours on
Sunday. Look at Germany, the land Of the
great reformer, Martin Luther Recently an
English clergyman Of high rank was on a
visit to one Of the large cities Of Germany,
and one Sunday evening was invited BY the
friend with whom he was staying to take a
walk After looking in at several places Of
public amusement, they entered one Of the
public houses, and saw seated around the
tables 4 number Of very respectfully dressed
and intellectual looking people, who were
chatting, smoking, and drinking lager.
"a These said the cleFgJman's ebaperon,
''are all Lutheran clergymen-" Yet these
men had all in the first part of the day at
tended to their clerical duties-and who will
say, with any less sincerity and faithfnIness
than sabbatarian C.Iyinists
"Tne Sabbath was made for man, not man
for the sabbath" II the New Testament Is
clear on any one point, IT is in regard to the
observance Of the Sabbath II i expressly
declared that the Sabbath is for man, for his
wants, his happiness, and his pleasure.
Can ii be supposed that the story Of the
eornfeld, 50 precisely narrated By the
Evangelist, was an accidental oeeuTeneef
Or rather Was IT not designed and contrTed
for the purpose Of teaching the apostles that