The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-12-19

| tolerance, general and uniform observ-
ance of the day they held sacred But
even in New England society broke away
| from the artificial and wearisome restraints
| they imposed; and one Of the consequent
ces of THEFT bigotry was the infideIity
which subsequently appeared there. In re-
| belling against their theocratical views,
men rebelled against all religion also.
Besides, hypocrisy was encouraged. For
their business or social advantage men
pretended conformity they did not prac
| tice, and professed belief they rejected
in their hearts. And hypocrisy is the
meanest of vices.
Yet there are some narrow minds in
New York who still think it is possible to
compel a million and half of people to
abridge their pleasures, change the man
agemeut of their private affairs, and regu-
late their whole conduct on the first day of
the week in accordance with notions which
are not common to civilized nations,
which are entertained, indeed, by only
very small portion of Christendom. The
great majority of the inhabitants of New
York are not Sabbatarians. They have no
sympathy with those who would force the
observance of Sunday as fast day. They
do not believe that the state has any right
to interfere with them on that day more
than any other, provided they are orderly
and peaceable.
1t must be remembered that the majority
of the population of New York are not
churchgoers. AT least. they do not go to
church regularly on Sunday. And of the
remainder, those who take the Puritan
views of Sunday are very small minority.
The vast body of Roman Catholics have
different ideas regarding Sunday. Then
there are the Jews, who do not feel any
religious obligation whatever to serve the
first day of the week, and who claim the
right to work or play on Sunday. as they
think best. And of churchgoing Christians
besides the Catholics, there are many
thousands who make of Sunday a day
both of religious observance and of pleas
ure.
Though so small portion of the com
munity, the Sabbatarians wish to make
the whole population of New York keep
the first day of the week to suit their
notions, and they want the law to help
them to it. If their theory is carried out
in its completeness, every sort of business
except that OF the apothecaries and the
would have to be stopped on
Sunday We could have no Sunday
papers and no Monday papers, for
those must be prepared on Sun
day. NO public pleasures be allowed. and
the population would be sunk to gloom,
which would of course be relieved by an
enormous amount of secret wees.
We are glad, therefore. to hear that
many of the clergymen of the city are
sensible enough TO see that it would be
unwise to attempt to force such Sunday
on us, and that the effort will be as futile
as it is foolish.
The people welcome Sunday as dav of
rest, and they wish the law to treat it as
that. But how they shall rest, and how
much they shall rest on Sunday, they de
mand the right to settle for themselves.
Nor will they tolerate the treatment of
Sunday by the State as a purely and pecu
iarly sacred day, for the State has nothing
to do with religion. That is matter for
the individual citizen. Legally Sunday
;an be only weekly holiday, on which
special precautions for preserving order
are doubtless ecessary-enforced, how
ever, not because of the sacred character
Of the day in the eyes of the State, but be-
;ause people are more likely to get into
mischief when they ale at rest than when |
busy.