Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-31
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.
The Different Theories Considered.
Albany Law journal

An Alabama gentleman, who has the
courage and courtesy to sign his name.
asks us w hat legaliy-cOnstituted tribunal
ever decided that any one day in the week
was more holy than another? If so. on
what auth0rity?" This is II connection
with our remark that a pAaa who was
shaved in a barber shop on Sunday cheat
ed the Lord out of His time - We really
are not competent to answer this inquiry.
we urn the inquir T over to The Independ-
ent, which IS much better informed on the
point tnan we are The idea of the
Lords time" is simply notion which
we hold in common with good many
other superstitio people But we 10 not
put, and never have put. the pIoprietv Of
Sunday Observance on religion
grounds. We have always put it ON the
grounds that one Gay OF ie-t III seven is
necessary to the health Of society. and
that as large maj0rit- Of the people are
of the same way of thinking, and probably
a majority are Of opinion that it is holy
time" they are entitled to have their
opinions legally respected. md to have q
day Of quiet and freedom from trade. nee
caSary work alone excepted. And we
have argued that it is not reasonably nee
e>sary to compel BARRIERS TO work on Sun
day to accommodate the lazy or selfish who
wodd not spend the tine on Saturday
nlght-nO more necessary to have one S
hair cut ON Sunday than on that day. 1t
is an oppression OF the BARRIERS. and they
generally agree with us, we believe. But
our correspondent continues: III you had
your way, you would rot only make a fell
l0E go TO church to rest ali day on Sun
day, but you would make him
pay the preacher in either event This
shows that our correspondent has read us
to very poor purpose. We jroHid compel
men to rest, /. e., to desist from public
work on Sunday, but not to 90 to church
nor to pay the preacher We wish all
men would go to church at least once on
Sunday, but we would not compel them;
and so far from compelling them to pay
the preacher, we have always been opposed
to exemption of church property from tax
alton. But our correspondent continues
You would make his organism more
complex. him more cTedulOus, more sus-
ceptible to the story of dreams and ghosts.
and allow him to smile and kiss his wife
only at times and in the manner pre-
sCribed. We suspect from the tone Of
this that our correspondent Is more credu-
! l0us than we. for we are not so ere CuiOus
as to believe that all this wonderful uni
verse in which we live came about without
| It supreme intelligence, to which men owe
loyalty and obedience There Is a great
| deal more credIlity in religious unbelief
| than in religious belief. That kissing
argument almost makes us tired. 1t Is
like the old argument in favor of slavery
Would you like to have your daughter
marry a nigger?' IF our correspondent
/ really believes, as he seeus 10 intimate.
that it was ever against the law of any
part of the country for a man to kiss his
wife on Sunday. he is more credulous than
We are. We had supposed that story of
inc Connecticut Blue Laws was thor
| oughIy refuted years AGO. But perhaps
we are wrong. Our theory of Sunday Is
simply this: We pref.r a day of rest and
peace and quiet. free from the noise and
hustle OF work and trade. when people can
20 to church without being disturbed, or
| can visit or walk or drive or sail. or 90 to
libraries and museums and picture-gaIler-
les. aud kiss wife and play with children.
rather than a day of rum-selling, cock
fighting. gambling. ball-playing, prize
fighting, theatre-going, getting drunk and
beating wife and abusing children. and
general deviItrv