The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-05-19


e - 49, n - 1ses:
i ~ pseAfhdtisn ansndnent To the Con
stitntiea ssaslifniieaali = . question aboul
which I dssiEs = subnit few tAeuxhts fol
yeor Consideration. The aryunents agains'
the Wildly = ~ anendnent seem TO b.
weil nigA sxhanstsd. Bat there has occurred
to Ne 90 essseitufieaAl sAjeetisa to IT, W
lidtty hat have nee seea deceased. Ihavs
beard, and haye read many discussions - u
the eject Of the amendment = 70 whether Il
does, or does not prohibit tie naaulheture,
and sale, Of wine for saefanental purposes
but the legal phase Of this part Of The quss
ton, in it relation 70 the Constitution Of The
United States, and Of the Slate q Kansas, !
have not heard discussed.
The first anendment to the Constitution
Of the United States reads - sollows: econ.
gress shall make no law respectisg an estab
iishmest Of religion, or prohibiting The ffes
exercise thereof"
Section : Of the Kansas Bill Of Rights reads
1.-The right to worship God according TO The
dictates Of conscience shall never be infring
ed nor shall any control Of, or interferenes
with, the rights Of conscience be permitted
The administering Of the saersment Of The
Lords supper IL solemn religious ordinance
enjoined by Christ, and n observed by I'll
orthodox denominations. This ID not only Z
form or mode Of worship, but 10 by some de.
nominations regarded ~ an essentia. part oil
their religion, as much 30 ~ the rite OF hap.
tism, it has become . part Of their establish.
ed worship, and no other sacrament Of the
Christian Church impresses one with 20 much
solemnity.
The amendment to the Constitution pro.
hibits the manufacture and sale Of any kind
of intoxicating liquors, except for medici.
nal, mechanical and scientific purposes"
concede that it was not the intention Of the
trainers Of the amendment to prohibit the use
OF wine for sacramental purposes. The truth
is that It was an oversight on their part, and
the full scope Of the measure was not seer
until after the proposition had been submit
ted by the Legislature to the people. Dur.
ing the canvass Of the question before the
people 1t was discovered that the adoption
Of the amendment would prohibit the use OIL
wine for sacramental purposes, aad when
this fact was discovered, the path dictated
by wisdom, was, 10 send the proposition bach
to the Legislature to be re-modeled, and
then again referred to the people; but the
blinded enthusiastic advocates Of the meas
ure were afraid to allow the election to pas,
by without vote on the question, and pre-
ferred to have it ratified in its imperfect con
dition rather than let it 60 back into the
hands Of the Legislature, trusting to Provi
dence and the courts to grant special dis
pensation in favor OF the use Of wine for sac
ramental purposes. It follows then that the
Christian people who pay an observance Il
this sacrament, can only do SO by assuming
that the law isis an infringement and inter
ference with the rights OF conscience, that il
prohibits the free exercise Of religion, ant
The right to worship God according to the
dictates of conscience
That is, therefore, an infraction of the
the Constitution Of the United States, aud o.
the State Of Kansas, and because thereof
is void. Upon what other theory can the,
evade the effect Of the amendment: II the
law Is valid, they, rs good Christians, ant
law.abiding people, should obey It.
Then comes the question, can they consist
emily insist upon an observance Of Law by
others, which they say is invalid as to them
know that the moral answer to this ques
ton, is, that in one case II Is used for high
and holy purpose, and in the other it is used
to degrade and destroy mankind. That II
true; but fhe moral and legal features Of the
question are entirely different. This Law
must be universal in its application, save ~
to the three excepted purposes. Either it !,
wholly good, or wholly bad. 1t cannot bt
treated as nullity SO as to permit the sale
and use of wine even for the solemn and sa
cred purpose Of the sacrament, and enforce.
to prohibit its use for other purposes.
W. ii. WHITMAN.
WICHITA, May 1G, 1881.