Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-12-20
CHURCH AND STATE.
OBJECT AND PURPOSES OF THE
 AMERICAN SABBATH UNION.
The Views or Correspondent on What Win soon he Very Prominent
 Question.

settled that the LeB1SlittuFt oL OallIOrnla at the session of 1891, vii! have to wrcstle with the question, Shall the church con- trol the State?" in earnest. Since the re- peal of the old Sunday law, III 1883, there have been some feeble efforts to revive a sentiment in the State sufficiently strong to secure it's re-enactment, or the enact ment of more effec5ual one cone that can be enforced. But so far all such efforts have fallen far short of the mark.
 There is, however, movement on foot at present, whose champions profess de- termination to keep moving until its pur- pose Is fully accompli shed. The Ameri can Sabbath Union, whose headquarters Is in New York City, have assu.ned the task of securing a Sunday lay for Cali fornia. Elliot r. Shepard of the New York Mail and Express, who has shown more inconsistency in his religie-political business career than any othecman in the country. IS President of the Union.
 The Pacific Coast Departmelsg of this New York concern is undes the inn mediate supervision of Rev Edward Thomson. who boasts that the Union has never lost a campaign. He publishes a small monthly document at Los Angeles. from which we gather some idea of the Sunday law programme, He and his CO., operators have been busy all summer en- deavoring to manufacture public senti- ment, and to persuade candidates for the Legislature to pledge support to Sunday bill at the next session-of course prOtfar ing church support at the polls in return. This plan was actually laid ont by Mir. Thomson early in the season.
 In the aforesaid monthly document for October there Is the following bit of in formation. The reader will bear in mind, of course, that this was before the cleo
 ton:
 "In-some of the counties of this State one or the other of the two great parties is so strongly intrenched that no effort can overcome the regular majority. But in the doubtful counties we are working strongly to elect the best man, regardless of party. We feel morally sure at this date of some noble and pure men in the next Legislature. One man has been se- eoted by the American Sabbath Union to prepare and introduce a bill for a San- day law, and plans are already laid to | bring immense influence to bear upon ! that body to secure its passage. Some of ! the ablest thinkers of the country will be
 present to argue the question atsSaera- 1 mento. We may not succeed this time but our union has determined to keep on
 with the campaign till the victory Is ours. y l It should be particularly remembered i that 1t Is foreign religious institution
 that has thus fastened itself upon the i State for ayowed purpose of controlling its
 Legislature..in the interest of the Sabbath ! Unions own ends. Mark the language: 1 Our union has determined to keep on ! with the campaign till the victory is ours. y 1 But the query may arise, What particular
 object has this union, an Eastern insti-
 tuition, in securing a Sunday law in Cali
 fornia? Wo will sec.
 The American Sabbath Union WAS
 formed for the purpose of securing na tional Sunday law. California stand:
 somewhat in the way. It is the only
 State ill the Federal Union that has nf
 Sunday law There are three or foul
 Territories without Sunday laws, but Gal
 ifornia is the only State so situated; an6
 1t has been shown several times over tha ] Sunday is as well observed here $ is
 those States where siitiI laws xirt and
 much better than in many localities Il
 such States. So long as California occu
 pies this conspicuous position Of at leas
 average good behavior without Sunda!
 law, 1t Is 6 standing menace to the Sab
 bath Unions pet scheme of a natiOna
 Sunday law. With all the State unani
 nous on the subject of this class legisla
 ton, the advocates of national law wOult
 have grand opportunity to make a show
 ing of popular demand upon Congress.
 The showing that all the States ha,
 Sunday laws upon their statute book
 would add strength to the plea dread
 made that the States are powerless t
 fully enforce these laws, or make them a
 stringent as their champions desire, be
 cause the general Government disregard
 them If Congress would enact a nationa law. compelling the observance of Sunda in all branches of it's service and in tn
 Territories, then the State laws could b
 made more stringent and be more rigidl , enforced
 But We are not at the end Of the strin yet. There is still another door to ope } before we see fully the importance to tn } Sabbath Union of its proposed victor , over California. This American Sabbat Union was organized at the instigation (
 what is known as the National Reforl , Association, headquarters at Philade phia. which numbers among it's adhereni some of the most influential men of th , country, men of every profession, an officials in high standing. One avowe 3 object of this Association is stated in til l following language of Article IT.. of i Constitution The object of this societ l shall be to * a * secure such a amendment to the Constitution of u l United States as will declare the nation 3 allegiance to Jesus Christ, and it's a' . ceptance of the moral laws of the Christia : religion, and so indicate that this is
 Christian nation, and place all the Chri } tian laws, institutions and Tisages of og 5 Government on an undaniabie legal bas f in the fundamental law of the land" t The Association has been in existenc : aln ost q quarter If q century; althoue f the movement was steadily gainir : ground it did not approach the goal ia 6 enough to satisfy its leaders nor its SUI |. p0rters They were impatient to see the 0 great work triumph. They were gettir e old and might die off before seeing Il t fruit of their labor. Sc they induced u l general bodies of a few leading Chr;stit j. denominations to send delegates to l, meeting in New York city, whose delibe C ations eliminated in the new organizatit T Of the American Sabbath Union. Fl It object of the new organization (which J simply an auxiliary to the National R @ form Associationl was more popult tilC N'L q D U a day law This, though not realized l. many who have fallen into its wake, " 7. designed by the National Reform Asso T. ation as stepping stone to its constit l, tional amendments, that would make n this republic an out-and-out church an 'e State Government.
 IS Here we see a glimpse Of the train le circumstances and designs that have l It up to the urgent necessity for a Sund y law in California, and why 1t is that Ill Association outside of the confines of o a own State is more solicitous in regard le the matter than are the people of Calif EI- mia. But while we are opening up H. public view the schemes which lie ba a of this work. we might go a step furtl he and answer question which may be To it cally anticipated, namely; Whence spra CT the National Reform Association, a IS, what the occasion for its demand for su rs. an amendment to the National Consti ey tion as it proposes?
 oh The answer is short; That associati fer for over twenty years was conducted a he supported almost entirely by the l he formed Presbyterian (Covenantre) Chur
 It is a tenet of that church in the Uni
 States that its members cannot vote
 hold office under the present Consti
 ton, because it does not directly ment