The record-union., 1891-02-23
SUNDAY LAWS.
The Subject Discussed From the
Stand point of a Pastor.
Some Extracts From a Discourse
Preached on Sunday by Rev.
6. p. TindaII.

In his morning discourse yesterday
Rev. G. p: Tindall, pastor of the Four
teenth-street Presbyterian Church, said
We are hearing much about public
morals. Each branch of the Legislature
now in session has a Committee on Pub
Hc Morals. These committees have re-
Gently held joint meeting to hear what
people had to say for and against a Sun
day law. This is wise, for the most emf
nent legal writers, as Blackstone, define
the province of law to be to commend
what is right and to forbid what is wrong.
And we all know that what is written is
very true, righteousness exalteth a ma
ton; but sin is a reproach to any peo-
pie" When it is asked What sha II give
to empire Ipermanency Of possession?
We all know what answer to give. Right
eousness and virtue. Where these pre-
vail, are most prominent, are the Lending
characteristics of a people, we see Eeace-
able, prosperous and strong people. But
where the oppoSites prevail, where un-
righteousness and vice, dishonesty, de
celt, 1nlmmorality and crime are the
main characteristics, we see weak, de-
clining people, whose liberties and well
fare are insecure.
a gentleman who is a member of .she
Legislature and an old citizen, said Ca Ii
fornia is advancing in two directions
increasing in wealth and in immoralit Y.
AS compared with other States, our crirnl-
IIIdl dllC lDllflOTdl pODuldUlOnl Is IN q larpCtI
ratio. 1t is certainly worthy the attention
not only of legislative committees on
public morals, but Of all good citizens, to
try to conceive of and put in operation
some scheme that will raise our grade in
the moral school.
This is one Of the grounds on which a
Sunday law is asked for. Five thousand
women have petitioned the Legislature
for such a law. Many, perhaps most of
them, are mothers who are faithfully en-
deavoring to train their children in the
way Of good morals. Many of the signers
OF this mammoth petition are persons of
high Intelligence, are teachers of youth in
our public schools, are persons of culture
and high moral character. A very large
number Of them are actually engaged on
Sunday in publicly teaching the purest
morality to thousands OF children and
youth in our State.
Some eight millions of children and
youth in our whole country are thus
taught every Sunday. This work, done
under the impulse of philanthropy and
pure religion, is confined to no sect or de-
nomination. 1t is scarcely at all secta-
rian; indeed, is on national and even in
ternational basis of instruction. And the
people are almost universally in favor of
1t. Take any city or village in this broad
land, from the Atlantic to the Pacific
canvass the population, visit every family
and scarcely any can be found who are
not favorable to this instruction. Half
this city has recently been visited and
nearly every family was found favorable,
almost none opposing.
Tie teachers in this cause receive no
pay, ask no pay, no State patronage, no
direct help from the State, no religious
word from the State. They believe the
State takes no such cognizance of religion.
Religion pertains to man in his relations
to God. With these relations the State
is not concerned. But with mans rela-
tions TO his tellow-man, and to the human
government over him, the State is con-
cerned. Hence the committees on pub
lie morals.
We ask these committees on public
morals, Who in this country are teaching
morals? Who are doing that specific
work? Who have invested money in
this business? Who have written books?
Who have published papers? Who,
week after week, are studying this sub
ject? Who have classes of children and
youths, young men and young women,
and old men and women, to whom
lessons are assigned, and who are
questioned and examined on those
lessons which embrace the purest morals
under the weightiest of sanctions? Who
are paying out of their own pocket the
expense, even to millions of dollars an
nually in the whole country, and ask not
one cent from the State? Who are doing
all this? 1t is done by somebody, and
they deserve credit. 1t is no small factor
in our civilization. Who can say it is
not of very large value to the State?
While Church and State are separate,
and forever ought to be, and will be in
this country, the State by no means ig-
nores religion-never has ON the con-
trary, has often sought the benefit Of its
kind and sacred offices. The first amend
ment To the Constitution of the United
States is very significant. 1t prohibits
all local gnvlnnctinn with raliCTinn and oil
interference with it. Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exer-
else thereof
While the Church and the State are
legally separate, and each is a coordinate
sovereignty in its own sphere, yet each
respects and esteems the other as great
factor in our civilization. And while re-
ligion enjoys the protection of the State,
the State has often asked the prayers of
religion. This has been so from the very
beginning. In such friendship was the
supreme law of our country, the Consti-
tuition of the United States, adopted.
Our fathers were drawing up the form
of a new government over men, among
the nations of the earth; form of gov
ernment for young republic that was
destined to stand and achieve eminence
among the great powers of the earth.
Many questions arose IN arrang-
ing that form of government, there
was no little diversity of opinion, and
when they had labored hard and long,
and had failed to come to an agreement,
that sage ofthe republic, Benjamin Frank
lin. rose and said ''Inasmuch as by our
own wisdom we have failed to come to
an agreement, let us invoke the wisdom
of Almighty God. l move that Rev. -
be requested to offer prayer" And from
that day to this, in the halls of Congress
and in the army, which, time after time
has delivered this nation in the day of
peril, and in all our State Legislatures
the State has shown its respect for relig-
ion and has craved the benefit of prayer
TO God. And in the courts of our coun-
try, from the Supreme Court OF the
United States down through all State
courts, no papers are issued and no ses-
sions are held, and no legal business is
transacted on Sunday.
Once in the National Congress it was
proposed to hold a session on Sunday.
Those opposed declared they would leave
the body without quorum should that
be done. So many people are conscien-
tiously opposed to labor on that day that
it is practically impossible to enforce it as
universal day for the legal transaction
of all forms of business. Banks are
closed on that day, and commercial paper
falling due on Sunday is collected another
day.
As day of rest from labor, it is de-
manded by nearly all our people. In
vestigations prove that six days of labor
exhaust, to degree, mans physical force,
and the rest of seventh day recruits the
wasted energy, and he begins on Monday
with the same force he had the beginning
of the previous week
The period of the week is in nature.
The changes of the weather indicate it,
and diseases running by the week show
that one day in seven is the best rest day
for man.
The strongest opponents OF Sunday