Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-03-01
Sunday Rest.

Ouuudy nest.
There are two solid grounds on which
Sunday laws rest; one, the right of the
prevailing religion of the country Cbe it
Jewish, Christian, or Pagon) to have its
day Of worship free from disturbance;
and the other, the right of every man to
an equal share in rest-day from toll
AS regards the first, if this country
were Jewish country the Jewish wor-
ship on Saturday should be peculiarly
protected from mOlestation. II it were
| Mohommedan country,the Friday should
be in like manner protected. This is
simple common sense applied to things
as they are, and no action of dOctrinaire
theory. Where there is a conflict of sa-
cred days, as among Jew, Christian, and
MOhammedan, all cannot be protected,
and hence the majority must determine
the question. This distinguishes the
sacred day, but it does no harm TO those
who do not count it sacred. 1t only
obliges them to be courteous. The inc
quality in the matter is only such as
in some things must obtain among the
| freest people.
As regards the second ground: physi-
slogists, physicians, statisticians, and
sensible observers in general, have agreed
that mans body and mind need COM
plete rest at an interval of about seven
days. But man will not take that rest
from labor unless he is obliged by law
to do so. His greed for gain will make
him ruin health in his own case, or
(wOrse stilD make him force his en-
plOyes to ruin theirs by continuous
work. The law, therefore, must make
and enforce rest-day. But what day
shall IL take? Again: common sense
says. Take the day which the mass of
the community, from religious reasons,
already regard as a rest-day.' So the
civil law, providing for mems physical
well-being. appoints and enfOrees rest
day from labor, which is the same Clay
on which the great Christian cOmmuni-
ty worship. and in which the same law,
for other reasons, protects them in wor-
ship.
There is the whole of the SUNDAY
question in nutshell. There is no
compelling men to be religious, no sup
porting state church, no puritanical
blue law. The Jew, or MOhammedan,o
Pagan simply must not make a bolster
Gus demonstration, such as a noisy pa
rade, on Sunday. Why? Recause the
vast majority of the people see fit to
worship op that day. The Jew, or Mo-
hammedan. or Pagan must not keep
open shop that day. Why? Because
the people have decreed a rest-day from
labor once week to hold humanity, and
that is the day.
The only objection that has any color
in it is that the Jew must keep two rest
days in the week, and hence is at dis
advantage with his neighbor. Well, as
We lave already said, in the most equal
administration, there must, in the nature
of things, be some inequality. Laws,
for example, require a notice of dan
ger" to be put up in dangerous places in
the city; but, alasi blind men cannot
read the notices. The laws are unequal
to the blind man. They have to be. So
here the Jews conscience tells him to
keep from working Saturday. The law
tells him to keep from working Sunday.
1t is pity but it cannot be helped. The
other alternative would be mo rest
day" and that would be destructive to
the whole community. We must all
bear some burdens for the public good
Our American liberties are largely
connected with the weekly day of rest.
This day has given the people time to
think, and read, and enjoy family life,
and without 1t we should have tecome
an ignorant, british, machine people,
like the low peasantry of Continental
Europe. Take away this rest-day, and
you undermine our high moral and edu-
catlonal condition as people. You
turn us into nation of mere "wOrkies.'
The cry of religious oppression, as
against Sunday observance, is device
Of the enemy. 1t is but the voice of
soulless corporations, and Of the propri-
stors of drinking saloons and other de-
places, who wish to make
heir great gains on Sunday, and care
nothing for the welfare and happiness
If the people. They are the oppressors,
md the advocates of a day of rest are
he staneh supporters of true freedom.
America has three bulwarks of liber-
"a free ballot, free school, and
rec Sunday. and neither domestic treach-
ry nor foreign impudenee should be
permitted to break them down.-TOpies
# the Time; The Century for March.