Tombstone epitaph., 1890-02-01
|" Lacking Backward. "

ism Be that as it may, some sinister influence has set large class ot religious extremists, including men of nearly all denomin ations, to looking backward for ideas of governmental administration.
 The National Reform Association has been for twenty-five years engaged in fanatical scheme to secure such an amendment to the constitution of the United States as will indicate that this is Christian nation, and "place all the Christian laws, institutions and usages ot our government on an undeniable legal basis in the fundamental law of the land"
 In short, they want to change the coh- stitution so that their church dogmss may be enforced by law. It may be ar gned, and often is, that such a measure can never be carried in this free repub- lie. But we must not be too sure of that. Whether they succeed or not de- bends upon the vigilance of the people. It will not do to place too much conf dence in Congressmen or Presidents, tor they have allowed themselves to be wheedled into imposing many bad measure upon the people, which the fat ter would have opposed had they been posted on the subjects in season to take issue at the polls or protest by petition.
 We have said that such measure is looking backward" It is going back toward that religious intolerance from which the early colonies of America were only freed by the federal union of States and the adoption of the present liberal constitution And it has been through the broad influence of this free republic that the measure of civil and religious liberty now existing in many other coun- tries was brought about.
 Any movement toward religious legis- Iation is step backward in the enjoy ment of liberty of conscience But to the question as to the possibility of sue cess. That there IS fast growing sen timent in favor of such move there IS abundant evidence-notably the promi- hence given to the Blair Sunday rest bill and joint resolution introduced in ihe last Congress. Never before could such propositions have received any marked attention in the United States Senate, and the sentiment was brought about by the influence of the National Reform Association, above mentioned, and its co-laborer, the w. C. T. U.
 It must be remembered that the na- tional Sunday law project and the effort for religious amendment to the consti- tuition are parts of the same grand scheme. The American Sabbath Union is a creature of the National Reform Association, being a scheme to enlist all denominations of Christians, and every other association, of whatever character, inte the associations reformed Presby- terian mevement. It succeeded beyond all precedent, having drawn into its net very influential following.
 Although the Blair bill and resolution fell through with the close of last Con- gress, no sooner was the present Con- sress organized than the same measures, with but slight changes, were again in troduced. Is there any better prospect for success now than before? During the past summer and fsll the leading champion of national Sunday law or ganized auxiliary associations in most of the States and Territories. Although he met many rebuffs, he left an organization nearly everywhere he went.
 Another reason for anticipating an in creased effort to secure the passage of the Sunday rest bill is the fact that in every State but one (except some just admitted) Sunday laws already exist. Is it to be expected that people will favor Sunday laws in the State and then very strenuously oppose them Tn the nation {?
 Again, there is ground of expecta- ton on the part of the advocates of re- ligious legislation which is certainly menace to the country, and of which the people canno: be too wary. One Dr. Browne, in a National Reform conven- ton, expressed hope of success in this wise:
 There is no more persistent man alive than the typical, representative American office seeker. Of that class, the most of those who have not yet found whether they are for Christ or not, or who are openly decrylng this move ment, are ready to be its firm friends as soon as they acquire wisdom to discern the signs of the times and are assured of its speedy success. They may pull back now at the hind axles, or scotch the wheels of the car of progress, but when they see il move they will quickly jump in to get front seats, and avow that they always thought it was s good thing"
 Thus we see that the very pious advo cates of measure looking backward to the days of religious intolerance are de pending upon hypocritical politicians and hypocritical means to secure their pur- pose. This of itself is sufficient to show