Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-15
THE DEMOCRATS AND THE SUNDAY

they were toiling as hard as though it
"were generally recognized working day
We are informed that this system is
"rigidly adhered to on DR.. Glenn's ranch,
"and that if man with team is en-
"ployed there and refuses to work on Sun
ebay, the board of his team is charged
against him. From these facts it would
seem that new era is dawning in Amer
ica-an era when the hitherto freedom of
g the laboring classes will be supplanted
by serfdom worse than that of slavery"
The condition of things here described by
the Gridley Herald may serve to indicate
what the Democratic platform tends to.
There can be no doubt that in the absence
of any legislation the selishness and sharp
competition which control all business
must break down and finally abolish the
Sunday holiday. In the case cited we see
what very wealthy man, greedy for more
money, will do to deprive his employees of
their Sunday. To DR.. Glenn it is a mat.
ter of no Importance whether these hired
men have any rest. 1t appears that he
has not even sense enough to comprehend
that they can do more work in six days
than in seven. Ali he thinks of is getting
his crops in, and in doing that he pro.
poses to work all who are in his employ
every day of the week.
And what DIR. Glenn does now, the ma.
jority of men would do if there was no
law to hold them in check. Take away
the last statutory barrier, and Sunday
would soon cease to exist as day of rest
in California. Now this is precisely what
the Democrats stand committed to by
their platform. They are opposed to any
legislation which is calculated to protect
the workingman's Sunday. Under the
pretense of opposing sumptuary laws,
they have pledged themselves to the
repeal of the present Sunday law, and to
the prevention of the enactment of any
substitute for it. This is very serious
and very real issue, as our quotation
from the Gridley Herald demonstrates.
Already the attack upon the Sunday holi.
day has been begun, and by prominent
Democrat. DR.. Glenn, of course, sub.
scribes heartily to the doctrines of his
party platform, and he shows how fully he
indorses the Sunday law plank by under
taking to abolish Sunday on his own ranch,
without waiting for the close of the cam
paign. He has, it is stated, adopted Sun.
day as working day, systematically, and
he forces his hands to work on that day by
virtually tining them if they refuse to do
so. Who can doubt that if the Democratic
principle was Endorsed by the majority of
the people at the polls, DR.. Glenns prac-
tice would be followed everywhere He
can, or thinks he can, afford to do this
now, because he is far from the public
eye. But though at present in the towns
and cities public opinion and the law to.
gether prevent general working on Sun
day, the repeal of the law, and the in.
dorsement by the popular vote of the
Democratic position, would produce a
sweeping change in the general position.
The working classes will have to realize
that they cannot vote the Democratic
ticket this year without voting for the
abolition of Sunday. They must also re-
har baS HoIi
will be the chief sufferers. Employers of
labor can always ssecure a holiday when
they want it, but if once the custom of
using Sunday as working day should be
set up the working classes would find that
they could not stand out against it. If
they attempted to do so they would be
discharged, and more pliable men would
be taken in their places, and as there are
always many unemployed there would be
no difficulty in finding such. And the
more business prospers, and the greater
the demand for labor becomes, the more
certain is it that the pressure upon the
Sunday holiday will become heavier. 1t
is always the tendency for Society to take
everything it can get, and to coerce the
feebler classes at every opportunity. In
the absence of any restrictive law, there
fore, all efforts to preserve the Sunday as
a day of rest would be in vain. Even
those employers who disapproved of the
new practice would be compelled to yield
to it or suffer injury in their business.
And it by no means follows that wages
would be increased because seven days in.
stead of six constituted the week. Here
again employers would avail themselves of
the competition for work, and would take
the men who were willing 60 accept the
lowest wages. In short it is evident that if
the Democrats carry the State the Sunday
must ego" and that DR.. Glenn's practice
will then become the general one.
To prevent this the Republican party is
called upon to formulate a plank which
shall assure protection to the humblest.
and the untrammeled enjoyment Of the day
of rest. The present Sunday law has
proved imperative, because it was badly
drawn. The Republicans, taking warning
and example from that failure, must under,
take to pass new law which shall secure
to every person one days rest in seven,
without any reduction of wager or other
drawbacks. This law should also provide
that whoever desires to carry on business
upon Sunday, shall employ special help for
that day, or shall make such other arrange.
ments as will secure rest day to the help
that has been working throughout the
week. The main feature in the bill must
be the protection of the rights of the labor
ing classes. This is kind of treasure
which every civilized and enlightened Gov
eminent is bound to adopt, for it involves
what the laboring classes cannot do for
themselves, and it is demanded as pro.