The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-15
NEW puuAsn or SUNDAY LAWS.

| he ColSllUlloldl provision llal \ ou-
gress shall make no law respecting the cs-
tablishmcnt of religion. or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof is familiar to all.
The former clause was designed solely to
prevent union of church and state. such
as our fathers had seen established in Great
Britain. to whom they had. theretefarc.
owed allegiancc The free exercise OF re-
lipion. according to the dictates of ones
own conscience. was considered as an in
herent right and was classed with, and its.
enjoyment assured in the same article, as
liberty of the press and of speech. lhe
right of petition etc In further recogni-
ton of this right, it is, also provided that
no religious test" shall ever he required
as Il qualification for office. Further than
this no recognition is made of religion or
religious worship in our organic law. IN
der these Clauses-Or, perhaps, some would
say in spite thereof Legislatures have
passed laws in reference to the observance
of the Sabbath, or Sunday. have prohibited
travelling and unnecessary labor on that
day and established penalties for its non
observance. Without express legislative
cnactments upon the subject, courts have
declared it to I've law-and. throughout a
large portion of the United States. it is
good law-that all notes, bonds, contracts
etc, made on that day are void and of no
binding effect. In various other respects
legislatures, courts, and common councils
have made distinctions between sun
day and the other days of the week. For
instance in many cities and in some
states it is unlawful to sell intoxicating
liquor ON that day, while it is authorized
during the remainder of the week. De
mOnstratons, parades and other acts, which
would he regarded as perfectly harmless on
IA week day, are absolutely prohibited on
| Sunday, and the participants or actors
therein punished by fine or imprisonment,
/ to greater or less extent So places OF
religious meeting, and all religious assem-.
| blages are placed under the protection OF
the law, and the disturbers thereof punish
ed, to Il greater extent than are those who
disturb merely secular meetings.
There never has been, heretofore, any
particular occasion for asccrtaihing the
precise meaning of these constitutional pro
hibltions and guarantees The people
everywhere have always been, substantial
", of one accord, and have united in th'
belief that the first day of the week was
the Sabbath. The progress of immigra
tion, during the past few years, has brought
to this country vast number of Jews, who
have settled in certain localities, and tho
exact limitation or extent of these guaran
tees and prohibitions are accordingly as
suming an importance they never had be
fore. So long as there was an unanimity
of sentiment upon the proper day to be oh
served, no practical question could b'
raised, for the meaning of the constitution
was and would be plain, if Sunday was TIN
only day to be considered. With the in
clcasc of the number of Jews, and thei
consequent power, trouble at once come
up about SUNDAY laws as we call them
The Jews, as every one knows, regart
Saturday as the Sabbath, and they nov
claim the same rights, privileges, etc, in tn
observance thereof that Christians do 70
Sunday, The Jewish citizens OF Chicag
/ have addressed letter, or petition, to tn
| Mayor of that city, asking ''prolectio
''from the disturbance of their Sabbath
/ beginning on Friday and ending on Sal
"urday evening, by prohibiting the carry
I ling ON of trade in the vicinity of thel
Q 'places of worship" There is more |
. this matter than can be seen at the firf
e glance, and its contemplation will thro'
= open the door for vast amount of specl
= lation. The Jews are honest and SINGER
4 in their belief, and have the same rights
5 protection, etc, as persons of other bellei
have, Other beliefs may spring up ol
y serving some other day as a Sabbath, an