Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-03-19
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ROCKVILLE, MD.
Friday Morning 10, 1880.
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.

49, e'S-'<(- Y S'1f|A AN~'-
The question which is now agitating the
minds of our Legislative statesmen, is TO de-
wise seine penal statute to prevent the desc
Grafton of the Sabbath 1t is "a subject of
grave consideration and should be weighed
with calm judgment and discrimination.
There are habits, customs and pursuits that
are so closely identified with our daily lives
that they have become part of our indvldu
atty, and to cut us off from their wonted
enjoyment, by legislative enactment, would
restrict the rights and privileges of the citi-
zen and strike a fatal blow TO freedom of
action. The exercise of arbitrary power in
tampering with those time honored, inalien-
able rights Of persons which our ancestors
consecrated with their blood and confded
TO our keeping, should be strenuously OPP
posed by every advocate Of constitutional
liberty The age in which we live is far too
enlightened TO sanction a revival of Puritan
ism and religious fanaticism. We no not
propose to discuss the question from an
esthetical point of view-that being a mat
ter peculiarly within the province of the
clergy and beyond the scope of our ability
we merely wish to express our views as to
its practical bearing upon the affairs of life.
While we believe in setting apart Sunday as
a day of rest and relaxation from toll, and
have always advocated the importance Of
keeping it holy-while we favor all legisla-
ton having this specific end in veiw, yet we
cannot see the utility or Importance of en-
acting further laws to preserve its sanctity
or enforce its observance. All additional
legislation is new source of vexation and
annoyance by placing in the hand of the
malicious or vindictiye a convenient instru-
ment of persecution or detraction We think
our law makers commit grave blunder, and,
even transcend the scope Of their authority,
when in their religious feryency in hedging
about the Sabbath with superfluous safe
guards-they hamper in their operation the
laws of trade and check the growth and
expansion of civilization. "a little learn
ing is dangerous thing" and likewise too
much zeal when badly directed. They
made for man and not man for the Sabbath.
That the condition of society has changed,
and the formal observances Of the Sabbath
when Puritancal dogmatism enunciated
by the Pilgrim Fathers held sway-have
changed with them.
The aggressive, high wrought civilization
of the present day has fixed its characteris-
tic impress upon the warning, antagonistic,
struggling forces Of humanity, and leaves
no hating ground, no spot-amid the break
ers of human strife and ambition-where
mortal man can raise an altar TO his God or
bend his knee in prayer This is lament
able fact but is the natural outgrowth of
advanced civilization. We cannot turn back
the resstess tide of human thought and ac-
ton We must conform TO the new order
of things-adjust our situation to suit the
times and keep full abreast with their grand
achievements.
The Sabbath should be respected as the
Safeguard of our social, moral and political
institutions, but Sunday in every commu-
nifty must be dictated by its conditions. To
change the habits, fetter the inclinations,
destroy the innocent sources of pleasure or
diversion among a people who have fol-
lowed in the footsteps of their fathers for
generations, would be such an inhuman act
of tyranny as could hardly be realized under
our enlightened institutions. But legislation
could never change the nature of Cannibal,
nor can il alter the tastes, the inclinations
and pursuits of free citizenship. There is
So much diversity of thought, feeling and
sentiment. The habits and characteristics of
men are too widely divergent to be brought
into harmonious relations by legislative en-
actment.
A Sunday law which would exercise u
salutary influence upon one community
would eifectually mar the light and sun
shine of another. The circle of moral OBJ
legations sufficiently guard its sacred pre-
cincts from PROCLAMATION. 1t needs no other
safeguard TO preserve its inviolablity save
the natural love, reverence and devotion of
the people TO its holy usages and observ-
ances.
The country parson who bitches up his
own horse and drives to church sees no
harm in it, and when he exchanges places
with the city minister, rides in the street
car or steam car he esieems il Il great luxury.
lie sees nothing radically wrong in conduct
ing such Il convenient secular enterprise ON
Sunday. The new mode Of conveyance is
merely incidental TO change of place with
its new features and surroundings. lie must
conform TO these changed conditions and
cultivate new manners and habits. They
must meekly and tamey submit TO the arbi-
trary DEGREES Of fashion and conventionaiity.
If the clergy by their example would
take an independent, self-asseriive position
as regards the secular affairs, throw off the
old garments of folly AMI dogmaiism and
pursue the bent of their tastes in the matter
of secular amusements they would be a
mere liberal, amiable and happy class OF
men. A new era Of enlightenment and re
formation would begin Sunday laws would
he a dead letter, and the narrow minded
prejudice which conceived their necessity
would vanish from our midst
Let these guardians Ofimmorial souls--these
noble conseryators of the peace, welfare and
happiness Of society--throw oil the shackles
ol artificial society--spurn its bigotry aud
intoerance-lssert the manhood and dig.
nifty of their professionalism down pr,iu-
dice and uperstition-place themselves full
abreast with the advanced civilization of
the day and enter upon higher plane OF
thought and action. The christian religion
would then assume its just proportions and
achieve still grander destiny in the cause
Of human liberty and redemption.
REPEAL or DON1 TON
Gov. liamilton's recommendation 10 ~
peal the State donation to the Rockvill,
Academy will those 10 other educational