The record-union., 1891-02-11
THE OTHER SIDE.
Pointed Reply to the Rev. Dr.. Thom-
sons Sermon.
Criticism of the Proposed Sunday Law
and Its Provisions-The Real
Fight.


your report of Rev. DR.. Thomson's lect-
ure on the proposed Sunday law. ask
little of your space for comment on a
few points. Your report quotes him as
pleading for such Sabbath as "our
fathers made as one of the original Amer
can institutions" If our fathers made
any Sabbath as an original American in
stitution, it was that Puritan Sabbath''
which Mr.. Thomson claims not to want.
The fathers of the Federal Constitution
did not make any Sabbath at all. They
left every man free to have for himself
lust such Sabbath as he may choose,
and to have it just when he chooses. Alb
solute liberty in matters of religion is the
boon left to us by our fathers. Every
member of the American Sabbath Union
has an undisputed right to any kind of a
Sabbath he may desire, without any ap-
peal whatever 10 the California Legisla-
tGre. This Mr.. Thomson well knows
and the fact that his Union is taking an
appeal to the Legislature is p,iaa Jacie
evidence that something more is wanted
than the privileges guaranteed by the
fathers of our republic. The appeal for a
Sunday law shows that this Sabbath
Union wants 70 saddle upon the people
such sabbath as they 90 not waht-at
least that :; llajority of them do not want
Inc Sunday law proposes to enforce y Sab
bath upon the people whether they want
it or not. Such was not the intent of the
1athers OF our republic, nor is it the spirit
OF our Constitution.
MI. Thomson says that "So.ne people
do not understand that precedent is law. !"
The proposition that precedent is law, is
one that mas many exceptions. 1t is no.
where accepted arbitrarily. But if we
grant the proposition in its fullness, then
the reverend gentleman is surely one
who does not understand the precedent.
His illustration is decidedly wide of the
mark. He says, "1f we concede to the
President the right to day of rest, why
net concede IT to every mann"
The speaker has been echoing through
TINS State for many months. that old hob
by promulgated by Mr.. Crafts. that ex-
ainpting Sunday from the ten daVs Al
lowed the President in which to sign
bills passed by Congress is precedent
for Sunday law. But the granting of
that privilege to the President has moth
ing compulsory aboutit. The President is
not prohibited from Signing bills on Sum
day: He may sign every bill that comes
to his hand on that day # he so desire.
The lntimation that every other man
has not the same privilege conceded to
the President is entirely nullified by the
very next proposition ofthe, speaker He
says, "In the judicial department no le-
gal process can issue on Sunday' Very
true, and why? Simply because it is de-
signed that every man shall have the
same right as the President to exercise
his conscientious scruples regarding the
observance of the day. But the Judges
are not forbidden to work every Sunday
II they choose upon matters under adj
vlsement or upon any work pertaining to
their offices other than holding sessions
OF court or issuing processes. And this
is protection to every man
outside OF the courts against infringe
ment OF his right to use the day as he
pleases, just as the President does.
Again, General Washington went so
far as to deny himself to visitors on Sun
day, and himself and family-as have all
Presidents since-attended church regu-
larly on Sunday" Well, what if he did /?
He did so because he chose to of his own
free will. There was no Sunday law to
compel him to do so. So with all the
other Presidents. The precedent set by
General Washington did not operate as a
law to compel succeeding Presidents to
law" as Dr.. Thompson argues, then
every President would be compelled to
refuse audience to visitors on Sunday
and to go to church regularly, because his
predecessors did.
But the Presidents have not the monop-
oily OF such privilege, nor have the Judges
OF courts. Any man in California can do
so, II he lives near enough to church. If
he voluntarily accepts q position where
he knows that he will have to work on
Sunday, that is his own fault. The Sab
bath Union employees have been very
Jealous in trying to create the impression
that young men are forced to work on
Sunday or go without employment. But
While they have reiterated the standing
arguments of Mr.. Crafts, there is one
point which he makes in his book, 'The
sabbath for Man." which they overlook
IN appealing for a Sunday law. He
argues strongly, and cites illustrations in
proof OF his position, that those employees
who consclentiously and persistently de-
cline to work on Sunday Invariably gain
either better places or the stronger conf
dence of their employers.
So we see they have two classes of Sun.
day arguments-one to use in urging
young men to a strict observance of the
day, and the other in working up senti-
ment favorable to Sunday law. The
position OF the young man varies accord
ing to the turn of the Kaleidoscope. The
number OF laboring men. out of employ
ment is rather against the argument that
they are a badly overworked class,
Which is better for a laboring man out of
employment, OF mechanic on half-time,
to have days work on Sunday or to be
compelled to lie idle? If he has no
scruples about the religious observance
of the day, would he not much prefer a
days work?
Mr.. Thomson expects the Sunday law
to do much greater wonders in California
than it has ever done anywhere else. in
the way OF reform. He proposes that it
will reform the gambling clerks; although
the saloons and gambling places be open
six days and nights in the week He pro-
poses that a one-day-in-the week law for
bad boys will be protection against their
going to the bad" There are already
several laws for this purpose covering
seven days in the week, but the bows 90
to the bad nevertheless. The expectations
for the Sunday law are far too sanguine.
There are Sunday laws in all the States
excepting. Idaho and California, and the
boys are going to the bad'' in all of
them. There is plenty of evidence that
California boys are not at all ahead in the
race, Mr.. Thomson to the contrary not
withstanding.
In short, nearly all the evils of our
State are attributed to the lack of q Sun
day law; but there is abundant evidence
that in all the States the same evils exist,
ana in about an equal degree. The Sun
ucy IA" Htis not proven, III all us HiStory
Of fifteen centuries, a panacea for the tenn
poral or spiritual ailments of the people
in any country.
But IN this connection, q word in regard
to the bill now being urged by the Sab
bath Union and its auxiliary forces.
There have been loud appeals for the week
ly rest of the laborers in places usually
operated seven days in the week. But
the bill now before the Legislature ex-
empts nearly all these. Itexempts hotels,
boarding houses, baker shops, baths,
markets, restaurants, livery stables, retail
drug stores and "such manufacturing es-
as are necessarily and
usually kept in continued operation
This includes the whole list of employees
in whose behalf the appeal is made, ex-
cepting bar-keepers. And a loop-hole is
left big enough for every saloon-keeper in
the State to jump through, in the exemp-