Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24
Sunday Rest.

There are two solid grounds on which
Sunday laws rest; one, the right of the
prevailing religion of the country Che it
Jewish, Christian or Pagan) to have its
day of worship free from disturbance;
and the other, the right of every man
to an equal share in a rest-day from
toll.
AS regards the first, if this country
we're a Jewish country the Jewish wor-
ship on Saturday should be peculiarly
protected from molestation. If it were
a Mohammedan country, the Friday
should be in like manner protected.
This is simple common sense applied to
things as they are, and no actionof doc
trinaire theory. Where there il con.
Christian and Mohammedan, all can
not be protected, and hence the major.
ity must determine the question. Thif
but does no harm to those who do not
count it sacred. It only obligges them
to be courteous. The inequality in the
matter is only such as in some thingt
must obtain among the freest people.
As regards the second ground: physi.
ologists, statisticians, and sensible oh.
servers in general have agreed that
mans body and mind need a complete
rest at an interval of about seven days.
But man will not take that rest from
labor unless he is obliged by law to dc
so. His greed for gain will make him
ruin health in his own case, or (worse
Silly make him force his employees to
ruin theirs by continuous work. The
law, therefore, must make and enforce
a rest-day. But what day shall it 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. pro-
viding for mems physical well-being,
appoints and enforces a rest-day from
labor, which is the same day on which
the great Christian community worship,
and in which the same law, for other
reasons. protects them in worship.
There is the whole of the Sunday
question in a nutshell. There is no
compelling men to be religious, no sup
porting a state church, no puritanical
blue-law. The Jew, or Mohammedan,
or Pagan, simply must not make a bois-
ferrous demonstration, such as a noisy
parade, on Sunday. Why? Because
the vast majority of the people see fit to
worship on that day, The jew. or
Mohammedan, or Pagan, must not keep
open shop that day. Why? Because
the people have decreed a rest-dayfr from
labor once a week to help humanity.
and that is the day. ~ H.. M
The only objection that has any color
in it is that the Jew then must keep two
rest-days in the week. and hence is at a
disadvantage with his neighbor. Well,
as we have already said, in the most
equal administrations, there must, in the
nature of things. be some inequality.
Laws, for example, require a notice of
danger to be put in dangerous places
in the city; but, alas! blind men can
not read the notices. The laws are un-
equal 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 a pity; but it can not 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 it we should have become
an ignorant, british, machine people,
like the low peasantry of Continental
Europe. Take away this rest-day, and
you undermine our high moral and ed
vocational condition as a people. You
turn us into a nation of mere ..workies."
The cry of religious oppression, as
against Sunday observance, is a device
OF the enemy. 1t is but the voice of
soulless corporations. and of the pro-
proprietors of drinking-saloons and 9th
er demoralizing places, who wish to
make their great gains on Sunday, and
care nothing for the welfare and hap
piness of the people. They are the op.
pressors, and the advocates of a day Of
rest are the stanch supporters of a true
freedom.-Ccmtury Magazine
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