Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-08-04
Sunday Rest.

the country lbe 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 the rest-day from toll
as fegasa as the first, if this coun-
~ were a Jewish country the jew
ish worship on Saturday should be-
peculiarly protected from molpsta-
ton. Ii it were a Mohammedan
country, the Friday should be in
like manner protected, This is
simple common sense applied to
things as they are, aud no action of
doctrinaire theory. Where there is
a conflict of sacred days, as among
jew, Christian and Mohammedan,
all cannot be protected, and hence
the majority must determine the
/ question. This certainly distin-
suishes the sacred cay, but does no
harm to those who do not count it
sacred. 1T only obliges them to be
courteous. The inequality in the
matter il only such as in some
things must obtain among the sec
ond ground; Psychologists, physic.
ians, statistic!ans, and sensible OBJ
servers in general, have agreed that
man s 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 OBJ
liged by law to do SO. His greed
for gain will make him ruin health,
his own case, (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 re-
asons, already regard as a rest-day."
So the civil law, providing for mems
physical well-being, appoints and
enforcss a rest day from labor, which
is the same day on which the great
Christian community worship, in
which the same law, for other rea.
sons, protects them in worship.
There is the whole OF the Sunday
question in nutshell. There is no
compelling men to be religious, no
supporting state church, no purit-
anic blue.law. The Jew. or Moham-
medan, or Pagan simply must not
make boisterous demonstration,
such as 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 rest day from labor
once 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 disadvantage with his
neighbor. Well, as we have already
said, in the most equal administra'
tions, there must, in the nature OF
things, be some inequality. Laws,
for example, require notice of
danger" to be put in dangerous
places in 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
working Saturday. The law tells
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 muEt
all bear some burdens for 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 peas
antry Of Continental Europe. Take
away this rest-day, and you UNDER
mine our high moral and education
al condition as people. You turn
us into nation of mere ''workies."
The cry of religious oppression, as
against Sunday observance, is a de-
vice OF the enemy. 1t is but the
voice of soulless corporations, and
of the proprietors of drinking