The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-12
the sneers Of the news

Notwithstanding the sneers Of the newspa-
pers, this country seems to be growing very,
even excessively, religious. There Is an i'm
merse and unusual demand for religious leg
islation just now. while popular opinion
Ia peculiarly pugnacioas and will not toll
crate anything like iniideiity. Indeed, the
old puritanic spirit seems to have revived and
broken out In full force In many sections of
the North.
Somebody Investigating the Revised Stat
ntes of Maine the other day, discovered the
following law, adopted by the Legislature of
that State only few years ago, and which
has never been repealed: "Whoever bias
phe,nes the holy name OF God by denying,
uslising or continually approaching God, his
creation, government. final Judgment of the
world, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost or the
holy scriptures, as contained In the canonical
books of the Old or New Testament, or by ex-
posing them TO contempt or ridieule, shall be
punished by Imprisonment of not more than
two years or by fine not exceeding $780," This
law still remains on the statute books OF
I Maine, and some religious citizens of that
State propose to demand its enforcement for
the punishment of Bob Ingersoll should he at
~.
atheistical lecture at Portland.
In Minnesota the ST, Paul Pioneer Press
has got In quarrel with the inhab-
itants of that Northern metropolis on
religious question, in which the newspaper
appears to be somewhat worsted. The
Pioneer Press, as a matter of enterprise, be-
gan the publication some time ago of a Mon
day edition of its paper. This was more than
st Paul could stand. In order to print a
paper Monday morning it is necessary for
the employees OF the paper to work Sunday,
and any work on the Sabbath was regarded
by the people of st. Paul as a deadly
sin. The enterprise was generally denounced
and a crusade against it begun. A num-
Der of printers employed on the paper
resigned, although not compelled them
selves to work on Sunday, declaring it
impossible to labor ON such an irreli-
Press. Subscribers forsook the paper and
denounced its course. The. latest display
OF opposition to this measure has been the
signature Of petition by thousands of st.
Paulians protesting against the sacrilege, and
demanding that the paper stop its Monday
edition at once.
The Pioneer-Press stiH holds to its enter
prise. but it is evident that it will be COM
PEELED in the end to yield to the pressure Of
public opinion, and leave the people of st.
Paul, as they ask to be left without any news
on Monday; cut off entirely from the rest Of
the world.
But perhaps the strangest exhibition OF
mingled sentimentalism and religion is what
Is known as the Loder bill. now before the
Legislature of Ohio with probabilities OF
passing. The bill forbids fast driving on
the avenues in the neighberhood of cemeteries,
that is any one driving by a graveyard at
more rapid gait than five miles an hour is an
irreligious felon and a criminal, and deserves
60 be severely punished for his crime.
These are only few Of thousand similar
measures proposed for the moral improve
ment OF Americans. There is not a Northern
legislature that has not dozen religious bills
before it; and II the country is not saved, it
will not be the fault of these religious legis-
Iators. true successors of the extinct genus of
Christian statesmen. This kind of legis-
lation, however, does not seem quite
"a popular in the South as in the North,
III the. defeat of Gen. Vests religious amend
1liaTat to the constitution in Mississippi and
III SnnGay liquor Law in this State bear
ttnes