St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-06
SUNDAY REST.

this city were filed last Sabbath by
gentleman who is the recognized apostle
of the Sunday rest cause. who urged
upon his respective congregations the
duty Of all Christian people to unite in
an effort to secure Sabbath observance
according to the orthodox plan. The
subject was taken up by the pastors at
their regular weekly meeting and dis
cussed, but definite action was post
pOned until this weeks meeting. The
chamber of commerce was memorialized
on the same subject, and there is every
probability tina it will be brought before
the city council in the shape of a pro-
posed ordinance providing for more Wig
0rouS enforcement of Sunday laws in
this city.
There is absolutely nothing new to be
said on this Sunday rest question. 1t
has been discussed until it is thread
bare, and yet it is one CT those questions
that will survive and be favOrlte
theme for the agitatOrS until the mill
ennium dawns. Persons who are de-
manding more rigid Sunday laws seem to
forget that legislation in this direction
has already gone as far, and some
farther, than the spirit of our institu-
tons will justify. The Christian Sab
bath has obtained recognition in the
statutes of every American state, and
when we remember that this govern
ment was founded on the theory that
freedom of conscience should be re-
Spected there is a very grave question
as to the right of our legislators TO
manifest Partially for any particu-
lar religious sect or creed. There
is very large class of our
population of the Hebrew nation
ality who hold that Saturday is
the only holy day of the week. There
ara certain sectS of the Christian perSua-
sion who maintain the same doctrine:
and there is still another large class of
unoTthodoX stripe, VINO believe that all
days are alike, and that no particular
sanctity attaches to any one OF them.
In view of these discordant opinions, it
is questionable stretch of power for
the state to undertake to decide which
is the proper day to be observed as the
Sabbath, or even to compel its citizens
to subscribe to the Sabbatarian doctrine
at all. The question of Sabbath obServ-
ance, being purely religious, and not
political, belongs to the pulpit, and not
to the legislature. 1t is the province
and the right of the pulpitS to persuade
men to adopt certain religious beliefs,
but it is in no sense the duty of the
state. under free government, to COM
pei its citizens to respect any particular
form OF religion.
There is another aspect of the Sunday
rest question, however, which is now
attracting the attention of the public,
and which may possibly furnish an ar
gument in support of the right and
power of the state to interfere i'll this
matter and to prescribe regulations for
Sunday observance. At the recent in
ternational labor congress in Paris one
of the plankS of the platform adopted
declared in favor of setting aside one
day of the week as rest daY for the
working classes. Sunday was not deS-
ignated, nor any other day. 1t was SIM
ply the sense of the congress that one
day out of every seven should be holt
day. This demand was founded upon a
principle of humanity so broad that it
both covers and underlies all power of
government, and so universally COM
mends itself to human intelligence that
there can be no Quibbling over it. The
wisdom of such provision not being
questioned, it only becomes question
of what day of the week shall be set
apart by law as rest day. If left to
popular vote for decision, the verdict in
this country would be overwhelmingly
in favor of Sunday, partly by reason of
the force of education and partly be-
cause of respect for the convictions of
those Christian workingmen and work.
ingw0men with whom Sabbath ObServ-
ance is a matter Of conscience.
But the Sunday rest agitators should
draw the line here. When they have
secured the observance of one day of
tue week as day of rest they have ac-
cOmplished their mission. When they
step beyond this line and attempt TO
secure the observance Of Sunday, or Of
any other day of the week, as the Sab
bath, as holy day, they get beyond
their legitimate sphere and seek to per-
vert the powers of government to an
unwarranted purpose. The Sunday
rest question is entirely distinct from
the question of Sabbath observance.
The legislature may say six day S shalt
thou labor and do all thy work." but its
power ceases there, because the domain
of CESAR terminates at that point.
The realm beyond is Gods, and the
question of the manner in which the
seventh day of rest shall be observed is
strictly matter of conscience with the
individual citizen. The state has no
right to dictate to the citizen whether
he shall go church on Sunday or to the
ball games. That is matter Of indi-
vidual conscience, with which the legis-
lature has no power to interfere. 1t is
open competition between the preachers
and the ball players, and whenever the
churches are made more attractive for
the multitude than the ball grounds, the
crowds will flock to them. Still, when
we remember that our Saxon ancestors
were converted to Christianity at the
point of the sword, it is not SO much of
a surprise that their descendants should
still insist on evangelizing the world by
CRSarian methods.
EXEMPTING MANUFACTURERS
The interest manifested by our Min
neapolis friends in the proposition
which originated with the board of
trade of that city, to exempt new manu-
featuring enterprises. in whole or in
part. from taxation until they can fairly
get on their feet, is an indication that
they are on the right track in pursuit of
proper policy to secure more rapid
growth and development. The GLOBE
has heretofore directed the attention of
our st. Paul people to the necessity for
pursuing a similar course. and we again
urge it upon them. The committee APP
pointed by the Minneapolis board of
trade to investigate the subject will rec
ommend the Philadelphia system. which
provides for eXempting raw material