Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-12-13
CALIFORNIA; SUNDAY LAW.

California has . Sunday Law. the pur.
pose Of which il 10 compel Q strict re-
ligious observance Of the Christian Sab.
bath according to the crseds and
dosmas Of modern. not primitive, Chris
tianity. The law would punish BY .
Hns every person who keeps open on
Sunday any store. workshop. bar. saloon
or banking house for the purpose Of
t~rsnsacting business therein.
A class Of rslisisnists In that State
quite recently commenced the work Of
enforcing this law. proceeding particu-
larry against saloons and places Of
amusement whore liquors are sold on
Sunday. Az might have been expected.
the effect OF such action has been to
create sxcitsmsnt. and to develop .
strong opposition to the law In some Of
the large towns and cities there; and,
although the Supreme Court Of Call.
fornia Q short time since rendered Q do.
cision In favor Of the Law. organizations
are being formed throughout the State
to resist and contest II.
The new Constitution Of California
forbids the enactment Of special laws;
but as the Sunday Law was enacted long
before the adoption Of the new Consti'
tuition. Judge Morrison. Of the Supreme
Court. held that. % the new Constitu.
ton IL not retroactive, the law wal not
abrogatea by It, consequently Is in full
force.
Probably most citizens Of California
recognize the fact that q day Of rest and
recreation. as often - once . week. Is
beneficial. II not necessary to man. but
those persons who oppose the enforce.
ment OF the law claim that as there ID
and can DO no union between Church
and State in this country. IL 10 their
right to rest or abstain from work when.
ever they choose. and that they possess
the constitutional right to observe Sun
day in the msnnsr they choose. so long
as they do not disturb others, or in.
fringe upon othsrs' rights.
This view OF the matter seems to be
the Just and common sense view, and II
certainly appears strange that religion.
lists Of California should. in this age Of
religious federation and freedom, en-.
dsavor to enforce . law the spirit oil
which Is as thoroughly in opposition to
the spirit Of our republican institutions
AZ light is in opposition to darkness.
Christians do not derive authority for
their observance Of Sunday as Sabbath
from the founder Of their religion.
James Freeman Clarke says that schol'
ars are now agreed that the Sabbath OBJ.
legation was not transferred by Christ. OF
his Apostles. to the FIRST day Of the week
that there Is not in the Christian Scrip.
lures q single command to keep the Sab.
bath in any form, or on any day; and
that nearly oil that is there said about
the Sabbath is to deny It's obligation,
Jesus. himself" says Mr.. Clarke,
''opsnly aud repeatedly violated not only
the Pharisaic Sabbath, bnt the Sabbath
OF Moses"
No sect Of rslisionists in this country
should have special privileges conferred
upon them BY Law. and. although Q ma
jority may make such a law. II is never
thsless unjust. and its operations an in
fripgemsnt upon the rights Of the mi
nority. But the rslisionists Of Califor
mia, who have in some cases succeeded II
their attempts TO enforce the Sunday law
must make the most Of their victory
Their timo Of triumph will be short
The agitation OF the question there vii
create such . whirlwind OF opposition ts
the law that their next Legislature viii
sweep II from the statute.books just Of
surely as the day Of meeting comes. II
is too late in the nineteenth century to
fastsn religious shackles upon men in
R.orhi;can Amevica-