Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-06-28


the people. The great majority OF men
go through life as employees. They are
compelled to give as much time to work as
the prevailing custom demands. II 1t |
became the custom to keep all businesses
in operation every day, the majority Of
men would have no rest at all. And the |
reason why legislation is required to pro-
tect the popular rest day Is that in its
absence very small minority OF business
man could compel all the rest to keep open |
every day of the week. The case in fact |
is one in which, in the absence Of regulat- |
ing statute, the minority could deprive the |
majority of one of the essentials of com.
Portable living.
The Republican party can beat the |
Democrats on the Sunday law by taking
the ground the RECORD. UNION has sug
gested. Sunday for the People Sunday
for Everybody with full liberty and full
opportunity for all to make what use OF it
they please. That is a programme which
will be found to meet every just and
rational requirement of the case. 1t is the
interest of the poor which is mainly at
stake. Those who are WELL do can afford
to lose their Sundays occasionally, because
they can take holidays when they choose.
But the masses of men have no such privi-
lege. To them the Sunday is the only
possible holiday in the week. II they were
to take holiday on week day they would
lose their wages for that day, and they
cannot afford such sacrifices Bat it is not
safe to leave this large class to the mere
chances OF trade. Experience has shown
that the tendency of competition is to crowd
mere and more work into the day and into
the week, and that there are many people
who already begrudge the Sunday rest, and
would with very little encouragement I'M
dertake to do away with it. Now if man
is go sordid and foolish as not to under
stand that his own health and happiness
and the claims of his family demand one
days rest in seven, perhaps it will not be
great loss to the community should he
kill himself with work. But the moment
he undertakes to extend his practice beyond
himself, he invades the rights of his
fellows, and the law should step in and
check him.
It should say to him, "It you want to
work on Sunday you must first see to it
" that every one of your employees who has
" done six days work shall have his rest
" on the seventh. You must employ a
Z" double staff of men, in fact, or you must
" shut up" By this means the Sunday
holiday would be guaranteed to the
humblest, and the rapacity and hardness
OF few would not be able to force upon
the community deleterious and demon
alizing practice. And with the complete
enfrarchisement of the Sunday would
come better and more profitable means Of
employing it. 1t would naturally and
easily be selected as the day upon which
the more important events of interest to
the people should take place. Once
fully recognized as day of popular rest
and recreation, enlightened caterers would
provide amusements of an elevating and
improving character. 1t is not necessary
olous, though it is no doubt true that
great many people who have been engaged
/ all the week in exhausting manual labor
require amusements which make as little
demand upon the faculties as possible. On
the continent OF Europe it has been found
that opon.air concerts, accompanied by
| light refreshments, afford the most
thoroughly satisfying recreation for the
masses. Hundreds of thousands of fam
lilies throng these gardens every Sunday,
and not only without suffering any moral
or physical deterioration, but with decided
ly wholesome results.
The rapidly increasing facility of tempt.
alton in these days places at the disposal
of the Sunday pleasure-seekers a number
of opportunities, at least in our large
CiLltey anu do Luc HdUlb VI VIC
holiday for sensible enjoyment and family
reunions grows stronger, it can not be
doubted that the public will find itself
more literally provided for in this respect
even than at present. But in order to get
the greatest good out of the rest day, it is
necessary to insist that Sunday shall be
placed absolutely and forever at the dis
posal of the people. There must be no
class debarred from its enjoyments. There
must be no barriers put in the way of the
pleasure seeker No doubt there are still
among US some people who resemble those
Puritans of whom Macaulay says that they
put down bear-baiting, not because they
thought it cruel to the bears, but because it
gave pleasure to the spectators. Such
people would if they could restore to the
observance of Sunday the gloom and the
sourness of the old Puritanical style, and
would prohibit any form of recreation
which appeared to minister to the pleasure
of the public. But the influence of the
Puritans upon American national life is
fast declining, and is being supplanted by
more genial and rational philosophy.
At present the Sunday law has led several |
classes into complications and irrelevant |
excursions which can only produce con-
fusion. To dissipate these misunder-
standings, it has occurred to us rs only |
necessary to put the situation as it exists,
fairly and plainly. The interests of the
majority of the people of California in re-
gard to the question are really identical.
They are agreed in behalf OF free Sun.
day for all, and that is the one aim which
the Republican party, if it is intelligently
advised, will undertake to pursue. As to
the use to be made of the Sunday, there
should be a fair field and no favor" for
all who have methods to propose, but
none should be assisted by any coercive
provisions. We have no doubt that this
programme, if properly presented in the
Republican State platform, will be ap.
proved by the great majority, and pre-.
ferred to the unintelligent, short-sighted
and ineffective proposition of the Demo.
Gratis.
The EAsTf RN Strikes.