The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-03-23
From the Chicago Tribune, Goth,
A Sabbath by Force.

We have already reported a meeting held
TO agitate the enforcement Of an obsolete
city ordinance, passed about fourteen years
ago by the city council iOrblddIng the sale
Of spirituous liquors on Sunday. The
gathering was small but by no means Sc.
lest, and differed widely in opinion among its
own members IT. differences, perhaps,
more aptly represented public opinion than
It's harmony could have done. Oudoubted-
! ly it would, under all circumstances, be more
| logical to enforce law or to repeal IT, than
to pass it and allow it to remain a dead let
ter. But mcn seldom act logically. One
Of the weakest Of all the arguments for the
enforcement Of law is the mere fact that
it has been enacted. Unless the statute is
the embodiment aud expression of Il public
opinion stronger than itself, it is not law,
but a mere legislative freak The genial
SAKE, in one Of his poems, says that laws,
! like sausuges cease to inspire respect in
proportion es we know how they are made
! This particular Sunday law was enacted
! with the expectation that its passage would
satisfy the temperance party, while its non
! enforcement would satisfy everybody else
! Very svOu after au attempt was made to eu
| force it at the iustigatOn OF some retOrmers
and the result was fight with guns and
| pistols, IN which several persons were killed
and others severely injured. The phIan
thropists, who met recently To agtate IT'S en-
forcemcut again do not serve upon th
police force, and their heads would not b
broken. They could sing aud pray in safe
", while the police wcrc compelling the yer
numerous population Of hour city to ODE
e the temperance views and religious scrnplt
3 of a small bat respectable minority. The
i would provide bandaEe9 and lint, perhap
, but they would in rare instances gain dl
tnction in the direct encounter. l3etoi
II seeking to compel other ,c5 volunteer
40 o.. ,,., tnrsi tuuunu, 10 maEothe arrests, tai
20 the blows and overcome the resistance.
they will do this, then their course would
at least honorRhIr--its wisdom il anoth
y, question. But an agitation which all
ID to set others by the ears, in order to e
~ force a religious tenet, while itself ayOidif
20 the knocks, j, not manly or honest
There nro laws which public opinion su'
ports. They were not passed as a Joke, al
no do not remain unrepeu.cd olny because
20 lowed t. he obsolete. bat the Sunday q
IN dmancc "a not Of this number. If submit
,a 10 lhe vote Oh the people as serious Assn
'0 not one.6ith Of the suffrage of the c
ne would be cast for it, Temperance is goo
We but an attempt ofone fifth to rule four Gn
d. Of the people is not temperance. It Is /
- temperance in the use that attribute in whic
~ above all others, We need to be temporal
u viz, power. An Incorporate use Of pow
u. naturally proyokes strite,riot and revolution
"a The existence of city ordinance to autho
a lie il, does not mend the broken heads. RI
attempt has been made elsewhere, and III
~ gain has been more than counter balanced
!; every instance by the loss. This is a cour
il. try where the despoti9m Of the few over tn
-. many il impracticabIc and dangerous, ev,
when presented under tho r.y"7'ng title
ne philanthropy and reform. We advise o
ey temperance friends, therefore, to be tempe
ry nte,