Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-09
THE PRESERVATION OF SUNDAY.

Utterly and wholly irrespective OF any
religious doctrines, beliefs or issues, the
sentiment is steadily gaining that there Is
grave threat in the decadenee of Sunday
as a day of rest in California. Cit
liens who have no relation whatever to
churches or creeds, but are observant OF
moral tendencies, have several times re-
marked to us that Something is wrong
in this matter of the disuse Of one day of
rest out of seven, and that the many
seems to be to them against the commu-
nifty as a whole ;" and they are perfectly
free to say that they view the growing dis
regard of the day " as precisely the reverse
of progressive" Were these expressions
confined to a very few they would have
less weight, but they are quite general, and
therefore represent a large public senti-
ment.
In the current number Of that admira-
bic review, The Forum, Professor Smyth
discusses this question of the preservation
of Sunday from the standpoint of pure
economy, and without entertaining any re-
ligious considerations in the debate. The
points this capable scholar makes deserve
far more of public attention than they are
likely to attract through the medium of a
review. Professor Smyth's points" ae-
cord so closely with the views of a very
large and increasing class of thoughtful
citizens that they may be stated with the
certainty of awakening echoing response
in thousands of minds.
He holds hat history, physical demand
and sanitary science show a Sunday TO be
necessary to the family. That is the unit
of organized human life it is the pivotal
essential of society, which cannot be
founded upon the small point of mere in
dividuality. Any custom that produces
loss of power and rythm at the heart of
society threatens serious disturbance of all
social functions, and thus assails the State.
Industrial independence is an essential Of
social we'll being that is, the laborer can
not be a slave and be a man, nor occupy
the slave attitude, though nominally free,
and be Independent as is the need he
should be for the well being of society.
Without independence there is no such
thing as good citizenship or fatherhood or
healthy social unit-ship. So men without
industrial independence are put on the
wrong side of the social danger line. This
independence must be sufficient for the
maintenance of the family in physical and
moral health. And here the Professor
makes clear the broad difference between
mere existence and healthy conditions.
The State can be socialistic enough for
all plain and proved practical purposes
The State cannot safely regulate every
mans business, nor yet can it leave all the
work for the health and healing of the
people to the individual good Samaritan.
We might go beyond the illustrations of
the Professor and point put how the State
does now intervene to prevent individual
right from becoming community injury
but this is not necessary; the. reader viii
call to mind sufficient instances conceded
to be inyuInerable.
So the essayist comes to the application
of his premises. Sunday is necessary to
the American home. "The Hebrew
Christian Sabbath and the Hebrew-Chri
tian home are historical institutions which
were founded and have been built up
together as parts of one and the same
social economy. For the mass Of men
Sunday IS the one and only time for home
of the whole busy week. If industry is
for the creation and support Of homes, then
the time given on Sunday to home is not
too large a proportion of time to devote to
the best purposes of our lives"
But as industrial independence is an es-
sential part of social vitality and time is
personal property, when one sells all his
time he throws his very soul into the bar
gain. He sacrifices at its vital center his
personal liberty. He ought to retain time
enough to enable him to discharge his
social obligations and maintain his ply
steal existence.
Experience of all men proves that the
least time to be reserved without danger, in
addition to enough for sleep, is measured by
the n day of each week. Experience has
demonstrated the economic as well as the
moral wisdom of the Sabbath's rest. "The
evidence is emphasized by the increasing
restlessness of the weekday life of the
American people, So if workers sell their
Sundays, they sell that essential to physi-
cal and moral ~well-being. If it goes on,
industrial independence will be blotted
out. If the Sunday of the laboring man
ever comes to be legally sold, or that of
the business man surrendered, whether
the individuals viii or not, the whole