The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-05-27
Ghe emily Argns.
Tuesday, Nay 81, 1879.
sunday Tyranny and the German Churches
-. ~. IIILunI- aLaaL. Z.ILnn.


lFrom the Illinois stats zeltungl
Il can Justly be said that an immense
majority of those Germans who frequent
Christian churches are decidedly opposed
10 the Puritanical Sunday tyranny which at
present prevails in Chicago.
German PrOtestants and Catholics know,
from their recollections Of the old country,
that religion and church piety eau never
well exist with such tyranny And five
would be indiscreet, we could name some
very respectable German-American clergy
men, even Of the most orthodox creed, who
admitted 10 us that the Puritanical Sunday
laws do great injury 10 religion and the
church, because they embitter many truly
religious minds against the church, in the
name of which these laws are enforced,
aud slowly drive them into the campof the
enemies Of the church
IL is an old trick of the Puritan fanatics
10 represent the fight against Sunday ty-
ranny As onmity against Christiauity,m or
der 10 prejudice those Christians who have
alwavs been opposed 30 such laws against
the opponents Of tyranny.
Those who resort 10 such tricks inten-
tionally conlound hatred of religion, and
liberation with each other. The fight
against the rigorous Sunday laws is by no
means fight against religion, but a fight
or mutual liberation, and for mutual
good will
As little AS the thinking and honest enc,
mics Of Sunday tyranny wish 10 deprive
the people of their innocent recreation,
Just rs little do they wish 20 deprive them
of the Sunday devotons.
M.y,v Moltlt ,r,g ;ur,r,,,oI 81, ,,.,,,.,. 49,.
casion, by representative Germans, by
committees appointed at German meetings,
lcven by the committee of the meeting at
Norwaerts' Turner Hall that the Germans
would acquiesce in the closing of saloons
during the time Of religious services on
Sunday forenoon as is done in many cities
IN Germany, Switzerland, etc, provided
that, during the remainder of the day no
obstacle should be thrown in the way of
decent enjoyment Of life in decent public
resorts
He whose religious convictions do not
permit him 10 share in such enjoyment of
life on Sunday is certainly perfectly at lib
erty 10 abstain from il.
IL is useless 10 discuss here the idle talk
ot the very few German fanatics who pre-
tend that the use Of even the lightest spir
ituOus beverages, even on working DAYS, /,
sin for he who has read the Bible know,
from hundreds OF passages, that the at
tempt TO represent the fight against coer
sive temperance laws as something unchris.
tian, is a direct insult of the authority OF
the Old and New Testaments
The basis above pointed out-closing of
the saloons ON Sunday forenoon, during
the time Of religious services. and the peo-
pie 10 spend the remainder Of the day in
decent enjoyment Of life within or without
the salOons--is certainly one upon which
aH truly tolerant citizens of Chicago can
unite. Even Mayor Medill few months
ago, declared such n compromise to be a
good and Just one
We request such of our readers a. do
not claim any Sunday freedom for them.
selves Ia weigh the above remarks without
prejudice they will then perhaps. come to
the conviction that it would be neither in
the interest Of religion, nor in the interest
OF mutual good will and harmony. If they
should demand that others should be de.
priyed Of the Sunday freedom which tor
themselves they do not wish 10 enjoy.
Those Protestant sects which are gener-
ally known TO be opposed to Sunday liberty
count not few worshippers among the
Germans. The Illinois 'Staats ZsituHq
has, on frequent occasions defended the
minority Of the Germans against the intol.
orance OF others, and proudly pointed u
their honesty their solidty, and their pat
riotism shown during the time of the civil
war And for this reason. we believe our.
selves 10 be- entitled To demand from this
minority Of German population toleration
for the views and habits Of the great ma
iority OF Germans
II does not look well when English.
American Natiyists and Know Nothings.
ia their brutal war against the harmless
habits Of the Germans, refer to Germans
a. being agreed with them, the enemies Of
the great majority Of Germans. Its true,
though, that those Nativists who refer q
Germans in their crusade against Germans
never divulge names of their German
hackers But the German minority
should take care that a few loud mouthed
and unauthorized men in their midst
should in future furnish no opportunity for
Nativism 10 make such boasts.
10 Is Nativism which, 10 a great extent,
underlies Puritanism this can be proved
from dozen symptoms But, il such
Natlvism should again achieve such decis-
i've victories as in 1854 and 1850, those
Germans who were its tools, or who were
believed to be such, would have 10 suffer
just as much as the majority Of Germans,
aud perhaps even more Treason to our
Unborn nationality, even il unconsciously
committed and not clearly intended, usual
iy carries with it the most bitter punish