Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-08-03
palilp Argus.
The sunday Question.
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
Thursday, August 8. 1871.

s,aI meetings held and resolutions adopted,
nndar thu auspices of this pArley, have been |
Dyinted in the Gazette, and our readers are, |
therefore fairly advised OF ell that has been
done, and ell THAI is proposed in that direc-
ton, ss they are also OF the grounds upon
which the anti-Sabbath movement 10 con
Quoted.
The opposition TO Sabbath laws, We may
remark at the outset, iS conducted mainly
by those Who are interested, directly or iudi
rsctly, 10 the profits resulting from the re-
tail traffic in lager beer and other iOtOxicAt
ing beverages. There 10 . large class of
people in our midst who believe that one OF
the chief ends of mao 10 to buy and drink
beer, and that therefore, the traffic in It
should be free, and that as the Sunday laws
interfere with this unrestricted traffic, those
laws should be repealed. IL there is an OPP
position to the Sunday laws from any other
class Of people, We are not aware Of it.
These saloon keepers draw to their support
men who are not engaged in that business,
such as politicians who seek what 10 called
the German vote; inHdels who desire to ex-
puuge from the statute book every Law rec
oguizing religion, directly or indirectly, pre-
cisely rs the same party sought to exclude
the Bible from the public schools NOT be-
cause Of anything contained in the book it.
self, but because il is the standard of the
Christian religion.
The anti-SundSy war, then, is to be re-
gArded IS war against Christianity, and
thus that system of religion which has Tor
its object the elevation of mankind is placed
on level with that practice which is direct
ly responsible for four-6flhs of the crimes
committed 10 this city and in this country.
This is the spectacle now presented. II is
not a political question, though politics are
at the bottom of the agitation; but We pro-
pose to consider it from different stand
point ...
In the first place, then, We hold, and il
will not be denied, that men who sell iutox-
icatiuR liquors are not on an equal footing
with citizens engaged in lawful callinVs.
The organic law Of the State recognizes ln-
temperance as an evil, and empowers
the Legislature to provide BY law
against evils resulting from the sAle
of intoxicating liquors The prop
osition 10 Incense the sale of iutoxloa-
ting liquors was voted down by the people
of the State on the ground, rs is well knowu,
that the business Is immoral, aud 10 license
the traffic would be to recognize immoraH
~, precisely as il is now eoDrended that 10
license gam bling houses aud houses Of pros
titunon, even for the purpose Of regulating
them, is Objectionable because Il would
iegAlize practices opposed TO public NOR
Alty.
Under this constitutional provision, laws
have been enacted prohibiting the sale O.
Intoxicating liquors at RETAIL at any time. q
&c any place within the State of Ohio, And
these Avs are 80 full and complete that. il
sustA ned by public sentiment, there is nc
day OF the week nor hour Of the dsy in
which Intoxicating drinks could be sold
The saloon keepers, therefore, who no "
propose to have tree trade in LIQUOR on Sun
day, in order that they may make money
and that the people may have an oppor;u
nifty to get drunk. and who undertake e
dictate laws, are hsbItuAl law breakers. their
property liable to conhsrstion and their
bodies TO Imprisonment
1t is not to be denied that in,em peran ce
Is an evil, and that the total suppression OF
the traffic ia Intoxicating liquors would be
the greatest blessing that could De conferred
upon our race. This, however, we do not
anticipate. We do not believe that men
can be made moral or religious or temper.
ate by legislation. 1t does not follow, how
ever, that the business, which is attended
with so many evil results, should not be re-
gntRted by law, nor IS it reasonable that
these laws should be dictated BY those who.
for the sake of gain, engage in business
the Constitution of Ohio, I'D opted by q vote
of the people OF the Stale, and which the
laws Of the State, passed il pursuance there
OF, prohibit.
Yet the anti-SandAy movement originated
with aud Is sustained Uy the saloon keepers,
and II is now represented as being Endorsed
by the whole German pc putAtion Of this clty .
OF this, however, we have 10 evidence, and
we do not believe t. There are thousands
of German citizens who see the fatal in
huence OF intemperancs upon their race.
and would be glad TO see = reform move
ment IN that direction. But the contest is
made TO appear as directed against SUNDAY
laws, and II is argued that these laws are
opposed 20 the freedom Of the citizen that
therefore they are unconstitutional, and that
the GermAns. because they love liberty, are
IN favor OF their repeal, and this demand
IS sustained by the Cincinnati Comm eycSaL
Having seen the origin OF the movements
and the occupation OF lis main supporters.
we shall now give attention TO the argu-
ment OF our contemporary. The Supreme
Court decided that the observance of the
sabbath can be legally enforced only as a
police or municipal regulation; but it en-
forced Its observance, and its reasons for
enforcing it did not effect the motives of the
trainers Ct the law, or DID it amount 70 any,
thing more than outside opinion of the
Judge. This is very fully set forth by Ru
fus King in his argument In the case of the
Cincinnati Board of Education, pages 1924
and 325.
That our system of government, of which
Sunday laws are apart, was founded on mo
rallty and religious sentiment cannot be
successfully denied. But for this moral and
religious sentiment the Sunday laws would
not have been enacted. No one can read a
history of legislation in this country without
reaching this conclusion. Daniel Webster
said: "Our ancestors established this sys-
tenn Of government on morality ana reli-
gious sentiment. Moral habits, they be-
lieve, canrot safely be trusted to any other
foundation than religious principles, nor
government be secure which is not support
ed BY moral habits" This is as true Of
Ohio as it was of the Government of the
United States. In the Constitution of Ohio,
adopted in 1851, it is declared that religion,
morality and knowledge" are essential TO
good government The bill OF rights, adopt
ed In 1902, embodied the same principle
There II WAS declared tina. "reliRion, mo
rality and knowledge" we're essentially
necessary to good go 'erument and the han
piness Of mankind" Article 3 of the oydi-
nance of 1887 contains the same declare
ton. Again, Congress, October IL, IRIS.
passed the following:
WHEREAS, True religion and good NOR
ais are the only solid foundations of public
liberty and happiness
Resolued, That il be and it is hereby
earnestly recommended to the several States
to take the most effsctual measures for the
encouragement thereof.
The advice contained in this last resolu-
ton was followed by the States. In nearly
all the bill of rights recognizes these sent;
meuts, and in nearly all Sunday laws have
been enacted and are maintained. In ,bs