Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-03-31
count it sacred. 1t only obliges them
to be couryeous. The inequality in the
matter is only such as in some things
mnst obtain amOn0 the freest people.

count it sacred. It only Obliges them
to be couryeous. The inequality in the
matter is only such as in some things
must obtain among the freest people.
As regards the second grounds
| psychologists, physicians, statisticians,
and sensible observers in general have
agreed that mans body and mind need
q complete rest at the interval of about
seven days. But man will not take
that rest from labor unless heis 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 employees to ruin theirs by contin.
uous work. The law, therefore, must
make and enforce q rest-day. But
| what day shall it take !? Again: Com
mon sense says, "Take the day which
the mass of the community from relig-
ious reasons already regard as q rest
day" So the civil law, providing for
mems physical well-being, appoints
and enforces a rest-day from labor,
which is the same day OF 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 o nutshell. There is no
compelling men to be religious, no
supporting q state church, no puritani-
cal blue-law. The Jew, or Mohamme-
dan, OF pagan simply must not max a
b%oisterous demonstration, such as a
noisy parade, ON Sunday. Why !? Be-
cause 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
day from labor once a week to help
humanity and that is the day.
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 ill.,
equality. Laws, for example, require
a notice Of changer" to be put up in
dangerous places iii the city, but, alas!
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 work
ing Saturday. Tho law tells him to
keep from working Sunday. 1t is a
pity, but it cannot be helped. The
other alternative would be "no rest
day." and that would be destructive to
the whole community. We must
all bear some burden 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
all ignorant, british, machine-people,
like the low peasantry of continental
Europe. Take away this rest-day and
you undermine onr high moral and ed
ucational condition as a people. You
turn us into a nation of mere .fwork-
ers." The cryof religious oppression
as against Sunday Observance is a de-
vice Of the enemy. 1t is but the voice
of soulless corporations and of the pro-
prietors of drinking-saloons and other
d~emoralizing places, who wish to make
their great gains on Sunday and care
nothing for the welfare and happiness
of the people. They are the oppressors,
and the advocates of a day of rest
are the staunch supporters of true
freedom.
America has three buiwarks of liber-
ty-a free ballot, a free school and a
free Sunday, and domestic treachery
should not be permitted to break them
.own.-[Topics of the Time; the Cen
fury for March.