The record-union., 1891-02-23

DONG SO much to save our youth and the
rising generation from immortality as
they? They are saving money to the
State. A criminal is a large expense
to the State. If this instruction has in
any degree lessened the number of crimi-
nals1and 1t goes without saying that the
smallest criminal population is where
this instruction has been in operation for
the longest time and most abundant
then does not the State owe it to itself to
encourage such instruction, and by all
means not antagonize it? Look at the
class of citizens who in their youth were
good pupils in their Sunday schools.
How very few of them are ever found
guilty before the law of wrong-doing?
Now and then, in very rare instances,
it is said of f-some criminal that he was
once, for short time, in the Sunday
school, not long enough to imbibe its
spirit. But even then it is always spoken
OF as rare and remarkable fact, so seldom
does it occur.
Plato, the eminent Grecian PHILOSOPHER.
said: THAT is the best thing for State
which tends TO make it one.r He said
this when he was trying to find some
remedy by which his own State might
be relieved of the growing and wide
spread corruptions which was hastening,
and which did accomplish its ruin.
we all see how our great public school
among our people. Foreigners from all
countries come here. Let their children
come into our free public schools and COM
plete course of study there, such q course
as they themselves shall choose, and they
come out intelligent persons and nodded
into good American citizens. 1t is there
they catch from fellow students. and from
teachers, and from school books, and
from school society, the true spirit OF
Americans. They are no longer foreign
ers, they are fellow citizens in spirit and
in knowledge. So when the rich man
without children, whose taxes may in
fact go to support the free public school
where the poor mans children get an edu-
cation, complains, and says: ''It is not
right that | should be compelled to pay
my money to educate other peoples
children" the State replies: True, your
money does go as you say, but this grand
public school system, at public expense,
is for the public good. You see how bene-
tcial it is; and with your large property
I o be protected by public law, and in view
o. the large number of men in your en-
pl.oy, you need the benefit OF this public
&c !ucation as much as any. and even more
th an most. If it We're not for the public
SC iool your humanity would lead you, at
lar ge expense, to provide private school
for your employees. BY this public school
sys tenn your property is more valuable" ;"
\ ow public education is just as good on
Sun day as on any other day, and all the
betttsr when we consider that it is specifi-
cally in morals. And all the more i'm
port INT is it in view of the much lamented
fact hat our public school system is very
defici ent in moral teaching. Direct
moral are scarcely taught at all III our
public schools. Beyond what are abso-
lutely necessary for the government of
the SC. bool itself the subject is scarcely
alluded to.
Unfol !tunately there is in human nature
a tende ncy to deteriorate. If children
and you til were not required by parents,
lessons, what fearful falling off there
would be-. Now the noble band of work
ers in m oral teaching ON Sunday exert
themselvo to the extent of their wit and
wisdom to' hold young men in the Sab
bath school. In this good work they
need all av ailable aid. as there is no COM
Pulsion by the church, any more than
by the State on weekday to force chill
dren into Sc hool.
A good So nday law would aid all this
Sunday inst ruction. If the law of the
State closed zap secular business on that
day, it would be a fine lesson to all our
youth that tt at day is for some other pur-
pose than ord mary business.
While business is carried on upon that
youth restive and dissatisfied to attend
upon moral instruction on that day. If
the father, by keeping business open on
as on oIier days, is teaching his
son Just the opposite of what he is learn
ing in the Sunda1y-school, we readily see
the evil. And if, rs is usually the case in
such circumstances, the son does not go
near the Sunday school, then he is apt to
learn lessons OF vice, as we so often see it
in this State, when The father cannot rely
ON his son for any kind of steady busi-
ness. How sad to think that many
laborers, to avoid being thrown out of
work, labor on Sunday, and they are, as it
were, compelled TO demoralize their own
sons by setting the lad example.
1t is undoubtedly true that the Sunday
saloon, i'll the amount of dissipation, un-
thrift and immortality which it induces,
costs the State very heavily. And it is
also unquestionably true that the most
efficient agency OF a public character to
lesson the amount of vice and immortality
among the rising generation is this Sun
day-school instruction.
In that view the State is directly and
deeply interested, for all this immortality
costs the State money, even by the
thousand; it increases taxes. Sunday
school morality, as taught and practiced
by Sunday-school people, is now saving
to this State many thousands. The tax
payer comes in here for a direct interest.
immortality costs him; it increases his
taxes. The additional tax rightly at
tributed TO the saloon would astonish all
of US.
What then is more reasonable, what
more i'll the line of public duty, than for
q Legislature TO pass good Sunday law?
In view of the needed day Of rest by the
laborer, and III view of what good use so
many thousands are making of that day
OF rest from secular toll, working for the
public good by teaching pure morality,
pass such a law. 1t will rebound to the
the purity, the elevation, and
hither the best kind Of population and
give us reason to feel proud of the society
of our commonwealth.
That great statesman Daniel Webster
said: The price of liberty is eternal vigi-
lance" A free people can never with
safety cease to watch and guard against
the eucroachments upon their freedom
and rights.
In the same manner, only perhaps in
a higher degree, the price of morality, of
purity and virtue, is eternal care, and
labor and training. In order to maintain
them a great and strong and constantly
acting system OF moral instruction and
is absolutely necessary Unfor-
many men in legislative coun-
cils seem not to consider the value and
benefit to the State of the grand army OF
teachers Of morals. Cne reason may be
that it is so intimately connected with re-
ligion. But this connection by no means
Injuries the quality of morals. 1t only
strengthens them. For religion affords
the most effective sanction to morals. The
State recognizes this fact in the $50 help
me God" in the oath.
Others say Sunday law is to be feared,
as it NAV be an entering Hedpa to a 1,nion
of Church and State, to requiring every
one to attend church. Such fear is utterly
groundless.
Nearly every State has Sunday law.
California is an exception to the general
rule. And this is one reason why this
State has such bad reputation for NOR
Il. L.. Ill ~ -r,Ll