Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-29
SUNDAY LEGISLATION.
The Religious Liberty Associations
Fight Against the Breckenridge Blu.

THE MEETING IN THE RINK LAST NIaHr-wARM
SPEECHES IN COLD HALL ARGUMENTS
| AGAINST THE PROPOSED LEGIsLATIoN-ITs CON-
| sTITUrIoSALITY QUESTIONED AN Ex-cAR
| DRIVERS STORY OF COMPULSORY SUNDAY WORK.
! Sunday legislation was the subject of the adj
dresses made at public meeting held last eve
| ming at the New York avenue rink. The heat
that comes from lighted gas Jets and the
grouping together of two or three hundred
people was hardly sufficient to overcome the
winter chill of the large hail. A majority of
the men in the audience kept their hats on and
the ladies drew their wraps closely about them
but nearly all sat through the speeches. The
meeting was held in response to call signed
by number OF citizens whose attention had
been called to the matter mainly through the
work OF the National religious liberty associa-
ton. number OF the leading representatives
OF this organization are now in the city for the
purpose OF approving the bill introduced in
the House by Mr.. Breckenridge. which is de-
signed to prevent persons from being forced to
labor on Sunday in the District The associa-
tlon, Whlie declaring i'll its platform its belief
IN rehglon and Its opposition to the liquor
frame Is opposed to all religious legislation
tending to unite church and state.
GEN. BIRNEY ON THE OLD MARYLAND SUNDAY
LAWS.
Gen. VIM. Birney was asked to preside and
IN his opening address he spoke Of the Sunday
law of the District, which is the old Maryland
statute that has been in force for over one hum
dred and fifty years. He read some of the pro-
visions OF this law. such as those which author
lied the punishment of Unitarians by pierre
ing their tongues, the branding of blasphemers
and the penalties imposed on Sabbath break
IIa ft.rl Iaxy a<,n =
become obsolete, and the speaker said that this
TACT proved that the sentiment OF the day
against laws of that character. Unlike other
laws the Sunday laws had never been modified
he then gave a general resume of the condl-
ton of Sunday legislation in this country and
said that existing laws were based upon SAM
tary reasons or were designed to prevent dis
order and drunkenness. The courts, he said
had not generally maintained the legality of
sanitary Sunday legislation. and the general
laws were ample to secure the other objects
named.
EDITOR JONES CnrIcYsEs THE BRECKENRIDGE
BILL.
The first speaker of the evening was Mr. A.
L. Jones, editor of the .imtrjcan Sentinel, a
newspaper published in New York city. as the
organ of the Religious liberty association. He
devoted his time to the analysis Of the Breck-
inridge bill, and said that the title ito prevent
persons from being forced to labor on Sun
day was misleading, there was no one who
was forced to labor on Sunday in the District
The Constitution. which forbids involuntary
servltude, was protection against any inya-
sion OF personal rights of this character He
announced that he was opposed to the BILL not
because he was not a Christian, but because he
was. He argued that the prohibition of ANY
secular labor or business" was equivalent to
providing for religious and spiritual exercises
and he claimed that this was beyond the power
OF Congress. For, he said, that secular work
meant worldly work. and the only kind of work
except worldly work was spiritual work. In his
opinion
CONGRESS HAD NO KNOWLEDGE BEYOND THIS
WORLD,
and 1t therefore could not prescribe duties for
people who were not of this world He de-
MED that under the present laws everybody
had the right to rest on Sunday There were
laws TO prevent the disturbance of public wor-
ship. He referred to tine Blair bill and said
that those who observed Sunday ought to op-
pose 1t. This bill provided that nothing should
be done at periods of the day best suited to the
general convenience and the due observance of
the day. 1t was left to Congress to determine
what the due observance of the day Is and
hence each must worship according to the die
tares of Congress and not of their conscience
In the Breckenridge bill he thought that the
provision exemptlng those who observe any
other day as day of rest was unjust
AiAI fhOiOoED lEplSLAlloN SAID 10 BE UNCON-
sTITUTIONAL.
The next speaker, II. A. Steele of this city.
made an argument against the bill, which was
based on the first amendment to the Constitu-
ton, which prohibits the passage of any law re-
speeding the establishment of religion or its
free exercise. He was of the opinion that such
"a bill was unconstitutional and that il would
be so decided when it came before Congress for
discussion.
"A BILL TO MAKE HYPoCRITEs"
IS what MIR. Lewis Abrahams of this city. who
next took the platform, thinks would be a
more appropriate title for the Breckenridge
bill than the one it now has. He regarded this
bill as an entering wedge for other measures
which would deprive the citizens of this coun-
try OF their liberties. 1t was an attempt TO
unite church and state. While the bill might
not be hurtIul i'll itself. yet the damage Law in
what might follow on the same line. He
thought this bill was part of scheme to bind
the CITIZENS III the chains OF the priesthood
1t was confession on the part of the church
that Its work Is a failure. Their cry is now
Give US policeman's club" to enforce what
preaching has failed to enforce. The next step,
said the speaker, would be to ask for bayonets
He said that such laws would enable policemen
to enter the Capitol and arrest members for
holding Sunday sessions.
SUNDAY WORK IN THE DISTRICT.
The statement made by II previous speaker
that no one was compelled to work on Sunday
III the District was denied by the next speaker,
Chas. W. Proctor, member of the police
force. He said he used to be street-car driver
and when he refused to work OIL Sunday, al
though the rule then was two SUNDAYS off and
two on. his was taken from him for a few
days. He knew of others employed on the
railroads, in hotels. restaurants and i'll other
places who were compelled to work OH SUNDAY
Gods commandment to keep the Sabbath was
equally as binding as the commandment pro-
hlbItInS stealing, murder, &c. He believed in
Sunday laws and hoped that the bill would
pass. IL does not interfere, he thought with
the rights OF any man, but provides "a day OF
rest which belongs to all and was intended for
all. As assistant license agent of the District
his duties had Obliged him TO go into saloons
brothels and other places of vice. 1t seemed
TO him that he had visited hell Oh earth
These places were worse OH Sunday and he
favored any legislation which limited their
power of doing harm.
ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
ASSOCIATION.
j. y. Corliss. member of the Religious lib
erty association, was the next speaker. He
denied that all laws were founded on the laws
OF God. Ii it was true then il would be neces
sary 10 have an inquisition or some method of
searching the heart of man in order to prop
erly enforce the laws of God For these laws
deslgnates the thoughts of hatred in the heart
as murder and the looking upon a woman to
lust after her as adultery. He was opposed to
mixing up civil and and religious laws or adj
mlnistration. He thought that any Sunday
legislation was injurious that made certain
things wrong Oh the first day of the week that