Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-08-03
pa1ilp Argus.
xhs sunday Question.
From the oinclnnati Gazette.

ana some oeher citlea at the presens tune,
one party fAvoring and the other opposing
the repeal Of what are known 90 the Sunday
laws. Thus far the former has been most
active and aggressive. Reports Of the sew |
eIal meetings held and resolutions adopted, |
under The auspices of this parley, have been |
printed in the Gazette, and our readers are, |
therefore fairly advised OF al that has been
done, aud ell tina. is proposed in that direc-
ton, ss they are also Of the grounds upon
which the anti-Ssbbath 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 ind
rectly, in the profits resulting from the re-
tail traffic in lager beer and other intoxicA,
ing beverages. There is large GLASS OF
people in our midst who believe that one OF
the chief ends of mao is 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laws should be repealed. If there is an op-
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 wbc seek what 10 called
the German vote; inHdels who desire TO ex-
punpe from the statute book every Law rec
ognizipg religion, directly or Indirectly, pre-
cissly 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-SundHy war, then, is to be re
garded as war against Christianity, and
thus that system Of religion which has Tor
its object the elevation Of mankind is placed
on q level with that practice which is direct
ly responsible for four-6fths Of the crimes
committed in this city and in this country.
This ia the spectacle nov presented. Ii is
not a political question, though politics are
at the bottom Of the agitation; bat 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-
icstinR liquors are not on an equal footing
with citizens engaged in lawful cAllinVs.
The organic law Of the State recognizes In,
temperance as an evil, and empowers
the Legislature to provide by law
against evils resulting from the sale
Of intoxicating liquors. The prop
ositiou to Incense the sale of intoxloa-
ting liquors WAS voted down by the people
of the State on the ground ss rs we'll kno wn,
that the business is % moral, aud 10 license
the traffic would be to recognize immorali
~, precisely as il is now cobrended that to
license gam bling houses aud houses of proc
tItuuon, even for the purpose of regulating
them, is Objectionable because Il would
legalize practices opposed 10 public NOR
Ahty.
Under this constitutional provision. lawt
have been enacted prohibiting the sale o
Intoxicating liquors OF retail, at auv time. q
in any place within the State of Ohio. snc
these avs are so full and com plete that. i
sustain by public sentiment, there is NJ
day OF the week nor hour Of the day il
which intoxicating drinks could be sold
The saloon keepers, therefore, who now
propose 10 have tree trade in liquor on Sun
day, in order thAt they may make money
and that the people may have an opportu
nifty to get drunk, and who undertake e
dictate laws, are hAbituAl law breakers, thei,
property liable 20 conhscation and their
bodies 20 ion prison meut
1t is not to be denied that intem perance
is an evil, and that the total suppression OF
the traffic ia intoxicating liquors would be
the greatest blessing that could be conferred
upon our race. This, however, we do no,
anticipate. We do not believe that men
can be made moral or religious or temper
ate by legislation. 1t Toes not follow, how
ever, thai the business, which is attended
with so many evil results, should not be re-
gulRted by law, nor Is il reasonable that
these laws should be dictated BY those who
for the sake OF gain, engage in business
the Constitution of Ohio, adopted by vote
Of the people Of the State, and which the
laws Of the State, passed 10 Pursuance there
OF, prohibit.
ct the anti-Sunday movement originated
with aud is sustained ~ the sHloon-keepers,
and II is now represented as being Endorsed
BY the whole German pc equation Of this clty
OF this, however, we nave no evidence, and
we do not believe IT, There are thousand,
OF German citizens who see the fatal in.
Huence OF intemperRnce upon their race.
and would be glad 70 see = reform move
ment IN that direction. But the contest is
made to appear as directed against Sund az
Jaws, and It 10 argued that these laws are
opposed TO the freedom Of the citizen that
therefore they are unconstitutional, and tina,
the Germans, because they love liberty, are
IN favor OF their repeal, and this demand
IS sustained By the Cincinnati C6R.nercidL
Having seen the origin OF the movements
and the occu patton Of iIs main supporters.
we shall now give attention to the arRu-
ment Of our contemporary. The Supreme
Court decided that the observance of the
Sabbath can be legally enforced only as
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, Dor di6 IL smount 20 any,
thing more than an 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 324
and 325.
That our system of government, of which
Sunday laws are apart, was founded on mo :
raliy and religious sentiment cannot be
successfully denied. But for this 10 oral 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: sour ancestors established this sys
tenn OF government on morality and reli-
gious sentiment. Moral habits, they be
lieve, cannot 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 "religiou,
morality and knowledge are essential 10
good government. The bill OF rights, dopt-
ed in SO2, embodied the same principle
There II was declared that religion, mo
rality and knowledge" were essentially
necessary to good go ,ernment and the han
piness of mankind" Article 3 of the ordi-
nance Of 1887 contains the same declara-
tiOn. Again, Congress, October IL, 1878,
passed the following:
WHEREAS, True religion and good NOR
ais are the only solid foundations of public
liberty and happiness
ResolDed, That 1t be and it is hereby