The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-15
SUNDAY LAWS.

To THE EDITOR: Under o1r constitution not
alone freedom OF religious faith and wor-
ship are guaranteed. Tut absolute free
dom of religious sentiment, and TO
citizen can be disturbed in person
or property on account of any religious rites,
ceremonies, high days, Sundays or holidays,
however much the sentiment or belief of others
even the largest majority-may regard such
observauces as essential.
The rights of conscience are individual and
cannot be settled even by the most overwhem-
ing majority.
Christians differ as to which day is the Sab
bath, some claiming the first day and others the
seventh day OF the week, and it is not the pro-
vince of mayor, city council or legislature to de-
eide which Is right.
The Bible. God, Christ and the Apostles de-
clare the seventh day 10 the Sabbath.
The directors of the Washington Secular
Union will pay $50 in gold for one single text of
the Bible-Old or New Testament-that teaches
or commands the Observance of Sunday, or the
first day OF the week, as the sabbath. =
Our state constitution regards the conscience
OF the infidsl, the Jew, the Seventh-day Baptist
and the Seventh-day Adventist as sacred as.that
OF any other citizen. The test of citizenship is
not based on any religious creed.
The greater part of q community may be
agreed concerning some matter of conscience.
but if only one among them holds a different
opinion, his or her rights OF conscience are just
as sacred as that OF the mayor, or members OF
the city council, and must be respected
James Madison wrote, July 10, 1922: Religion
is not in the purview of human govern ment- Re-
Hgion is essentially distinct from government
and exempt from its cognizsnce. connection
between them il injurious to BOTH
committee of the House of Representatives
March 4, 1890, on petition to discontinue trans
portation and delivery of the mails, reported:
"The line cannot be too strongly drawn be-
tween church and state. If q solemn act of
legislation shall in one point define the law of
God, or point out to the citizens one religious
duty, 1t may, with equal propriety, proceed to
define every part of the divine revelation and
enforce every religious obligation, even to the
forms and ceremonies Of worship"
In the revision of the criminal code, drafted
by W. Lair Hill, he consolidates into one Sec
tion sections 2067 and 2,06S of the code OF 1881.
These sections are part OF an act entitled IAN
act to close business houses and prevent the
sale of intoxicating liquors on sunday" Hills
code is in violation of the well-established rule
that no statute shall contain more than one
subject, and is therefore void and of none effect
But even If otherwise valid, it is in plain vio-
lation of the bill of rights which provides that
no privileges or immunities shall be granted to
any citizen which shall not equally belong to
all citizens.
This statute gives livery stable keepers the
privilege to keep open their places of business
all day on Sunday. They can rent buggy, car
rage or saddle horse to any person, even one of
known incorporate habits, for the avowed OBJ
ject of riding beyond the precincts where fanat-
icism rules, procure liquor, become intoxicated,
and on return make more noise and disturbance
than dozen respectfully conducted places of
business.
Civil government has nothing to do with what
we owe TO God, or whether we owe Him any
thing or not, or whether, If We do owe Him any
thing, We pay Him or not
Our state constitution clearly defines and pos
itively states the only conditions which can
render person liable to be disturbed in person
or property, towit: Acts of licentiousness, or
practices Incompatible with the peace of the
state.
Hence no person pursuing any legitimate &C.
cupation or lawful pleasure or pastime on Sum
day. any more than on any other day of the
week, can be disturbed either in person or in
property because OF any one else's religious
opinions.
Doubtless there are dives dens Of debauch-
cry, slums, called saloons, known to be the loaf
ing places of the lowest class of criminals and
hoodlums. Many disgraceful dens of infamy in
our city that should be promptly and perma-
nently closed; not permitted to run all the week
provided they will close the front door-and
keep open the private or side door-on Sunday
Any act lawful and right on any one day of
the week must be equally lawful and right on
any other day OF the week.
Every act is right or wrong perse How abb
surd to assert that an act is perfectly right and
proper at five minutes before IL, but the same
act would be crime at five minutes past u!
If there is day which the Almighty desires
should be exclusively devoted to His worship
(and the Bible says that day is Saturday, the
seventh day, not Sunday, the first day of the
weekly is 1t not better to rely on His almighty
power than on the arm of the law?
great cutlery is made about the need to close
the saloons on Sunday, but under our constitu
ton whatever is permissible on any other day
OF the week Is equally so on Sunday.
1t should DO remembered that saloons are the
outgrowth of Christian communities. There
are no saloons outside OF Christian communities
Open the museums, the library, the picture
gallery, the baseball grounds encourages excur
sions on the Sound and picnics in the woods;
provide innocent amusements and recreation
II you would have the saloons deserted
In the name Of law, constitutional and statu-
tory, moral and civil; in the name of enlighten
ment, progress and common sense. why should
the people OF the Queen City of the Sound, the
great metropolis of the young giant state of
Wash!ngton-the banner state for prog xess and
hberty-play hypocrite, or indulge fsnatcism
and bgotry; why retrograde to the silly Blue
Laws OF Puritanism?
C. Is. REYNOLDS, Sec. Wash. Secular Union.