Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-03-03
Address to the Public.

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Address to the Public.
The constantly increasing disregard
Of the laws for the observance of the
Sabbath as weekly day of rest has
awakened deep anxiety on the part Of
thoughtful persons as to its effect upon
the masses of the people. In country
like ours, where the strength of the
government lies to 50 great an extent
in the virtue and intelligence of its peo-
pie, any tendency towards lawlessness
should be promptly checked, and prop
err authority exercised to compel ODE
dience to the laws of the land, in order
that all classes Of citizens may injoy
those rights of person and property
which the constitution guarantees to
each individual.
And while the laws OF the land may
not be so full and perfect as to command
the unqualified approval of every one,
yet no candid person deny the fact that
if they were strictly impartially en-
forced many evils Of which we can now
rightly complain, would be unknown in
our midst, and while we can properly
rejoice in the fact that we are in the
main, law abiding people, yet there
are laws upon the statute books vitality
affecting the question Of public morals
i'll the estimation of our best people,
which are being constantly violated III
our midst, and yet no punishment is
visited upon those who thus incur the
penalty. Chiefly among these laws SO
| frequently violated with impurity, are
| those which forbid all work on the sab
| bath. except work of necessity and
| mercy, and if these laws were rigidly
| enforced, every ttizen would be cHA-
| bed to enjoy that weekly rest from Ia
| Dor which is not only essential 10 his
moral well being. but which contrib
| utes so largely to his physical hestth
| and happiness.
| The evil consequences which result
| from the constant and increasing viola
! ton of these laws, which are wisely in
| tended for healthy state Of public
| morals, are so many and so vast III
| their far-reaching consequences, that
| it Is impossible, i'll an address like this,
| to do more than barely hint at them,
and to invoke the aid and assistance OF
| all well disposed citizens in regular
| " organized effort to correct the evil.
! That man has attained his highest
state of prosperity and happiness in
| those countries which enjoy the beue-
| fits of christian civilization, cannot
| be successfully denied and chief among
| the laws which exert this influence on
| those which require the citizen to
| lay aside his daily work on the sabbath.
| to the end, that he may have regular
! and stated perious of rest, and have
| the privilege of worshipping Him who
| is the author of all of his blessings OF
spiritual as we'll as temporal char
acter. And it VIII be found that in those
communities in which the weekly day
| Of rest, is most faithfully observed
| there is the most faithful compliance
| with all the obligations imposed 10y
| society upon its individual members
and on the other hand, wherever the
| laws intended for TIE pIeseryationo1
this day are disregarded, then the pub.
| lie morals, are, as Il rule, i'll low state
| and public sentiment becomes diseased
to such an extent as to diminish and
weaken respect for law.
Unless these evils can be CHECKED.
not only will the morals of the people
suffer, but the rights Of persons and
property will be as matters Of small
moment, and so, having begun in that
direction, we may speedily reach a
state of anarchy, the ills of which can
not be estimated. Realizing somewhat
Of the danger which threatens us from
this, and approaching the advantages
and necessity of united effort on the
part of those who appreciate something
of the value of these laws, which eX.
ert so great an influence, in giving a
healthy tone and character to public
morals; we earnestly invoke the aid OF
all well-disposed people, in an organic
ed effort to correct these growing evils
First, let each citizens conduct be
so regulated as 10 respect fully the laws
which are intended for the protection OF
the Sabbath, as a weekly day of rest
by restricting all labor on that day tC
works of mercy and necessity. Second.
ly, slet each one uniformly avoid AL
conduct which tends to create a public
necessity, for any persons to labor on
Sunday, III order to accommodate the
public. BY order of B. G. :. A.
DAVID SPEAR, Secretary.