St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-13
Prof. j. O. Corliss Makes a
Plea for Individual
Rights.
Religious Liberty Is a Cod
Given Privilege 4
to All.
The Christian Sabbath a
Union of Church and
State.
Every Mans Conscience His
Own--An Array Of
AmusementS.

Prof. j. o. Corliss, who is speaking
against the Blair Sunday bill and in oppo-
sltion to the so-called Christian Sabbath
movement, last evening addressed an
audience at Plummer Post hall in
answer to the statements and argu-
ments of DIR. w. F. Crafts before the
Christ ian Sabbath convention at West
minister church Tuesday afternoon.
Prof. Corliss proved to be an entertain
Ing speaker, and seemed to be very
much in earnest. Freedom in religious
matters was what he advocated
as God-given right we do:not believe
he said that men should be licensed to
do as they please regardless OF the
rights OF others, but we do believe, that
every mans conscience is his own. and
worshiping GOD according to the die
tates of his conscience, so long as he
does not act uncivilly toward his neigh
Dor. For more than one hundred years
we have lived under constitution that
grants to all the equal protection OF the
laws, and thus secures to all citizens
these rights. There was time in the
first settlement of this country. when
Quakers were whipped and hanged for
was wrong, and yet some good
came of it after all. 1t had some
influence in giving shape to our ma.
tional constitution. 1t was so framed
as to guard against anything of the
kind in the future. Article one of the
amendment 70 the constitution says,
congress shall make no law respect
ing an establishment of religion or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof" thus
strengthening this guardian care of the
rights of conscience. 1t is right that
every man should keep the Sabbath,
bic for a failure to do this. But one
mania no right to force another to be-
lieve as he does, contrary to his con-
scientious convictions OF duty, as long
as he acts civilly. That kind of legis-
lation must make many base hypocrites
and it can not make Christians. After
briefly abiding to the Blair bill and
showing that those pushing the measure
are principally religionists and the w.
G. T. u. and that it was Introduced to
support a religious Institution, viz, the
Sunday, he said: "They tell us there
are two separate and distinct institu-
tions-the Christian Sabbath and the
American Sunday, and these two are as
separate as the two arms OF the BODY.
But is it fact that the Christian Sab
bath is one day and the American Sun
day another? No. They are one and
the same day, and legislation to en-
force upon all the observance of Sunday
is legislation to enforce the observance
of the Christian Sabbath, and hence it
is religious legislation. The logical
outcome Of it would be union Of
church and state. We cannot afford to
adopt such measures in this country. 1t
is true that the workingmen are many
of them overworked. But is this the
best way out of the difficulty? l think
not. They can be relieved without such
legislation. According to DR.. Crafts
own statement that he had written to
almost every state and territory in this
country, and almost all other cOun-
tries in the world asking if any
man could be found who had met with
any financial loss by refusing to work
on Sunday. and not one was found and
reported. Then, according to the doc
tors own argument, all that is needed
is to educate them to take the Sabbath
for rest. There is danger behind this
movement it savors of intolerance and
persecution. May God grant that peo-
pie may awaken to the danger ere it is
too late.