Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-25
THE AMERICAN SUNDAY.
AN APPEAL.

endowed with the same civil rights and re-
sponsibilities as other citizens No class |
can more highly appreciate the separation |
of church and state. Nor do we claim that |
the state, or any municipality, has right |
to bind upon the citizen any religious OBJ |
servance of the Lords day 10 the Lord only |
must all answer for its observance, |
according to divine law. But in the inter |
est of good government and with view |
TO the physical, social and moral welfare |
of the whole body of citizens, the state |
has an indisputable right TO declare one |
day in seven legal holiday that the peo-
pie. rich and poor, being released from sec
uIar business and labor, may enjoy quiet
and rest in their homes and, if so inclined,
may avail themselves of moral and spirit
uaI culture in the sanctuary. In
this nominally christian land it Is for
tunate coincidence that civil law-the ex-
preston of the public will-has made Sun
day civil holiday, as divine law has dig
uified the same day with the title, Lordsday.
Following are the civil laws:
CITY ORDINANCE PASSED 1873.
SEC. l. That all business houses within
the city limits, except such as are eA-
empted from the operation OF the Sunday
shops} shall be closed from l2 O'Clock on
Saturday night until II o'clock ON Sunday
night, and all butcher shops may be kept
open on SUNDAY except from 10 a. N. TIL
| d. m. of said days, and all barber shops
in the city shall be Kept closed on sunday
| throughout the entire day as other DusI-
| ness houses
| SEC. 2. That no keeper of any drug store
shall sell any ale, wine, beer, or liquors
| of anv kind on any Sunday, except in &C
| cordauce with the prescription of regular
practicing physician. The penalty for the
! violation of this ordinance shall not exceed
! 500.
| STATE LAW.
90 Chant. 81, page 35S Every person
who shall either labor himself or compel
! his apprentice, servant, or any other per-
| son under his charge or control to labor or
perform any work other than the house
hold offices of daily necessity or other
works OF necessity or charity on the first
day of the week commonly called Sunday,
shall be deemed guilty OF mlsdemeanor
and be fined not exceeding twenty-five
dollars,
convicted of horse racing, cock
fighting or playing at cards,
or games of any kind on the first day OF
the week commonly called Sunday shall be
deemed guilty of mlsdemeanor ana nneu
not exceeding $50.
Sec. 25S. Every person who shall expose
to sale any goods, wares or merchandise,
or shall keep open any ale or porter house,
grocery or tipping shop, or shall sell or
retail any fermented or distilled liquor on
the first day of the week, commonly called
Sunday. shall, on conviction, be adjudged
guilty of . misdemeanor and fined not ex-
ceeding $50
Sec. 259 The last section shall not be
construed to prevent the sale of any drugs
or medicines, provisions or other articles
of Immediate necessity.
Sunday secular business and labor, eX-
cept works of necessity and mercy, are an
inexcusable assault upon personal liberty,
the happiness of the home and the right OF
all sweet release from the drudgery of per-
petual toll. Because of it the laws
are broken and a dangerous dis
respect of all law is encourag
ed. The patriotic citizen needs
no argument to prove that Republic is
safe only as all classes respect and obey
all the laws Whatever custom, therefore
encourages any class to disobey any law,i
injurious to the whole body of citizens
Hence Sunday secular labor and amuse
ments should be abandoned at once. What
custom mas made common>in these mat
tiers is a violation of statute laws, to say
: nothing of divine law.
The salOOn-the usual place o
, Sunday debauch, and the viii
center of commandments BEEF
banished from our fair, young and rapid.
growing city. Shall business houses, legi
> innate enough in the prosecution of bust
ness on other days, become centers of Sun
day excuses? Let every busine SIS man an
swer this question, NO. All Legitimate
business needs, must have, the protection
of law in order to success. 1t should
> therefore. be suspended on Sunday if i
would have that protection and the respec
of all law-abiding citizens. The cripple i:
a simpleton who weakens his owl
: clutches.
/. Further, we urge this appeal in behal
| of employees, especially, who are even nov
e held to incessant toll by some employer
e who are avaricious. and by others through
! pressure of competition. 1t is not jus
f that those who put their selfish interest
above the laws, the integrity of the state
the welfare of their fellow men, the pros
peritv of social and religious order, SHOULD
D have one day more every week to pusl
/ their business than the patriot
V and conscientious. Nor is it JUS
i that those dependent on them for wage
: should be doomed to perpetual slavery Q
5 body and conscience.
+ The American home is the fountain
q whence flow out streams of good or evil I
5 bless or blight. Rich and poor alike shoul
e have one day in seven free from the grind
{. ing eXactions of business and the dlsslpa
:, ton of secular amusements to build u
e the home in all that assures domesti
f peace. moral and spiritual culture. As
# is. wives and children are neglected, ofte
e imprisoned at home, because th
e husband and father Is chair
d ed to the ever-moving car of worldly gail
l. not for himself, but for others, utterly III
" feeling. unmindful of the highest interes,
.e of himself or family. The seeming gal
10 of one more days work every week is d
Is lusiye. Capital and labor should meet Z
he gether in equity of privilege one day
v seven to strengthen mutual respect an
he the bonds of genuine fellowship. Al
IT archy is the bitter fruit of estrang
er ment of classes. German communis
b. have learned all this, and are now deman
e. ing release from Sunday labor as a mea
ure of simple justice to working peopl
Let us not multiply communists by Vi
If ious custom that violates the law which
~ our land has already said to the Lahore
i 60 free one day of the week.
" We appeal to all engaged in works OF a
10 parent necessity as druggists, vitualel
- publishers, steam and street railway tran
"a portation. and the like, to I
- duce Sunday service to the lea
: practicable minimum, that all employ
y. and their families may enjoy home az
= sanctuary privileges. The average emplo