The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-22
THE SUNDAY LAW.
Colonel Jussen on the Puritanical Oh
servance Of the Sabbath.

The Sunday afternoon lecture at the
Grand Opera House in Chicago last sun.
day, was delivered by Colonel Edmund
Jussen, on the Sunday law; its religious
social, and political aspect. Colonel JUS
sen introduced his lecture by stigmatising
the Sunday code as an attempt to force
Puritanism upon the whole people. The
Puritans, the Christians par excellence, dis.
claimed that they attempted to force their
m ode of observance ofthe day upon others
But they take from others all that made
the day a day of rest, They deprived us
of music, which was of all appeals to the
finer nature most eloquent. They closed
the places of amusement. On the theater
they placed their decalogue, and thus they,
deprived those not of the puritanic faith OF
all opportunity of innocent amusement ON
that day, and this in violation of the spirit
of the constitution. The doctrine laid
down by the Supreme Court of Pennsylva
MIA and courts Of other states that on pub
lie sanitary grounds the legislature had a
right to enforce one day of rest out OF the
seven, Colonel Jussen characterized as alb
surd and an evasion. The real ground OF
the Sunday legislation was Difference to the
Puritanic faith, and this invidious distinc-
ton operated unequally upon all other citi
zens. Was not the personal liberty OF
every man infringed upon, when on the
day of rest he was denied that recreation
most congenial and refreshing to him, and
was it equality of religious right which de
prived the poor laborer of the only bright
day of the week by excluding hin
from the parks, prohibiting concerts anc
closing the theaters-which told him bis
mode of recreation was an offense against
the laws? He might wear long face
and sing psalms, and exclude the fresf
air, but he was prohibited from enjoying
himself If there was to be law pre-
scribing how men should enjoy themselves
why not also prescribe what he shou
eat, what clothes he should wear and thel
cut.
Colonel Jussen next reviewed the argu
ment that the Sunday legislation was bu
an exercise of the police power, on tn
ground that public amusements on Sunda
were source of crime and disorder
Why, if this was the reason, was not put
lie morality enforced by similar laws as
secular holy days? Why were not place
of amusement closed on the 4th OF Jul
and THANKSGIVING, and on New ear S, IL
day on which the average American yout
did not pass five minutes out OF sight OF
bottle? Was drunkenness less dangero'
on New Year than on Sunday?
But the public police power was
greater on Sunday than on other day
and extended not to the remote but on
to the proximate causes OF crime
theaters and concerts on Sundays Won
create a carnival of crime, and shou
draw every man, rowdy, or gentlemen
to the vortex, law might be prop
But it was only the rowdies who made t
beasts of themselves on Sunday or h
days.
Another argument in support Of the II
titanic Sunday laws was that they wer
peculiarly American institution, aud II
those of foreign birth who did not wa
- conform to them might go back wht
they came from This he characteriz
as an imperlnencc, and cited figures
show that not more than one fourth t
population Of the Cnited States were
tive born. These puritanic Sunday q
temperance laws were checking emiG
ton and hindering the development OF I
conry. They also drove the foreign be
citizeus into clannshness, and too
united them against the native-bo
And so long as they were maintair
would continue to do so. lie concluo
with warning his hearers against the d
gerous results of these attempts to tr
upon the individual liberty of the citizen
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