Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-02-20
MONTANA SUNDAYLAw.


: perhaps a majority Of the members of IL
Legislature have decided to give us Su
day law, so that hereafter we may consid
ourselves on the direct way to high civi
izatiOn and legally constrained. religion
development. This is not only a hapr
thought, but it may be regarded as
shrewd stroke Of policy on the part of OF
lawmakers. for it is generally cohcede
that there cannot be anything very in
moral or iHtrinsically bad about men VII
arc imbted with proper religious convi,
items and respect for the sanctity Of Sur
day, or the first day Of the week. SO ia
then. those ofOur makers who favore
the passage Of the Sunday law have ur
doubleday plac:d themselves "'way up" j
the estimation of many Of their constitu
ents who will greet them, on their retnr
from the capital. with the complimentary
plautlit. "Well done good and faithful ser
wants"
There is one thing, however. the knowl
edge Of which may be. somewhat. calcr,
lated to mar the pleasure and consolation
of such general approval. and that is tn.
knowledge Of the fact that there are al
ways few Observant and rather skeptica
people in almost every well regulated com
munity who. having failed to see any pre-.
vious evidences Of Sunday piety ''croppine
out in the lives or sentiments OF their fay-
orite representatives., may be inclined to
suspect the motives or influences which
prompted their efforts in behalf of a Sum
day law.
But. af.er all, there is nothing SO very
remarkable in person changing his views
on such subject. especially after a few
weeks sojourn in the capital, Obtaining an
Inside view" into Territorial Lcgisla-
t'ire and listening to the Chaplain as he
pseelces his opening PRAYER on Monday
morning with these appropriate words:
Thou last seoE. 0. Lord, by the daily
papers now the Sabbath was desecrated
yesterday" We are only surprised that
Fergus. Harrington. Steel and Stuart
could stand unmoved by such influences,
anu vote NO. But. then. Fergus is sort
ot 'lihcral man and ertertains independ-
3nt views on most subjects. Indeed. one
'ould hardly expect anything better of
nan who is so Indifferent to fashion and
public opinion as to wear nice. new.
boiled shirt front, to back whenever
he takes notion TO do SO. Harrington
did not care for the ''Old Harry"
reorge must have steoied his heart against |
and Stllart-well. he has resided Just lony
aorgt in the capital to become thorough.
y convinced that it will require something
norc forcible and effectual than Sunday
Nv to reform or redeem his constituency.
We infer that the amendment proposed
y Fergus. to the effect that everybody
hould be compelled to work the remain
X six days of the week, and which would
ave been the most cOmmendable proyi-
on. was voted down. Seriously. from
ur religious standpoint. as journalists, we
Ill TO see either the necessity for or the
gality of such law. 1t is at least law
questionable eXpediency. Men cannot
legislated into u religious belief nor to
'e observance. in spirit. of any religious
oliday. The Sabbath. proper, which cor
spends with our Saturday. is Jewish
sttution and was anciently observed un-
n their TheocGcy with more than ordin-
y sanctity, but the Founder ofthe Chris
IN religion virtually disrcgarded it in his
equation and annulled its stringent and
'rdensome provisions by procaiming the
w doctrine that, 1.-The Sabbath was made j,
r man and not man for the Sabbath
len. as if to set this matter forever at
st. Paul Of Tarsis, who was recognized
the great apostle of the Gentles and an >,
positor of the New Dispensatien" of !,
authority. in reference to :"
lldays generally, remarks substantially ..
follows: lone man esteemeth one day :. :,
owe another. another .esteemeth every y
y alike. Let every man be fully per -
lded in lis own mind. He that regard '"
the day regardetl it to the Lord and
eth Cod thanks. and he that regartleth =
the day 10 the Lord hercgardeth it not ia
] givctl God thanks" ~
IN grounds of morality. the observance ~
Sunday as day of rest or religious u"
Ts!iip cannot, in the nature of things. be
re or less than a religious or moral OBJ
'tion. and its observance. if considered "a
essary. belongs properly to the moral u"
-rligions influences Of the churches or eA
he consciences Of their individual men, ALI
). a State or Territorial Legislature ro'
no more right to enact laws for its OBJ ~
'ance than it has to pass law to the ON
It that every business house sh II close oo'
doors every day in the week precisely oce
NJ. COZ
the necessity for such law is based vs."
sanitary grounds then reasons for its :.
'tment may appear somewhat more 49,,
sable. BIT even then, the question NJ,
mt be pertinently asked why the I.egis- t,a
re should pass over, without consider :.
n. weightier. more important and uni ron
ally conceded sanitary measures which :,
lot prominently enforced as religious
ts, and legislate on sanitary measure =
1t which there are grave differences OF ,,.;.
ion. but which, happens to have re- + .
ID the particular attention and sanction h,,;
Re churches, not on sanitary grounds. -.
ever. so much rs on moral and religi-
grounds. ...
our opinion, the Legislature could
been much better employed in pass '
avs requiring every man in the Terri the
10 take a square bath at least once t;o,
elk; to change his underclothing and mo
IN clean linen enthusiastically :" to saw
prohibited the frequent use of. ''slow :.
on." and imposed heavy penalties for wo,
unsanitary acts as using the coat ing
e for pocket handkerchief. ~ SETS
EXPLORATION WE VIEW IT. a,.o
seer
ON present indications 1t appears Jun
. than probable that the Railroad Ex- hnn
ion Bill, Introduced by Combs, of the
son county, will pass both branches mas
e Territorial Legislature and become the
v. Having regarded the urOposition how