The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-07
TIL
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.

HELENA, Mont, rep. o, lSSS.
THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.
Pillow! What a pungent Whit of old
Salem pervades the announcement that
the authorities Of the city of Pittsburg
have entered upon a crusade against
the Sunday newspaper. AS one reads
Of the filings of irformations against
carriers and newsboys, who have endan-
pered their eternal future by the viola
ton Of a sanctifed statute OF 1884, 1t is
not hard to dream for a moment or two
that the ultra-ortholoX days Of Cotton
Mather are come again, and that con
sciences, which cannot he forced. com
pressed or gouged into a standard
mould, must for their souls sake be
crushed beneath the juggernaut or
schismatic persecution. els civilization a
failure, and is the Caucasian played
out?" In this country, and at this clay,
it should certainly be no difficult task
to prove that, for to the masses OF the
people the Sunday newspaper, as an ed
vocational and moarl instructor, deserv-
eddy ranks with the pulpit itself. But
we should imagine that the Puritans Of
Pittsburg are in no danger of wrecking
their mental equilibrium by any en-
deavor to controvert that position.
Rather are they likely to fall back upon
principle as their II weapon of defense,
and to substitute for all argument a
parrot-like repetition of the term.
But if we meet them on their own
ground, the ground Of principle, it re-
quires no champion in logical athletics
to give them a heavy fall. We Amer
leans are fond, and justly fond, Of boast:
: ing Of our freedom. Now, il there is one
principle moro than another that has
formed the keystone to our system OF
civil and religious liberty, it is precisely
this, that the civil arm has no author
ity, desires to exercise no authority, in
matters spiritual or ecclesiastical. The
axiom is Of the Q T essence Of our
theory of government. 1t comedies
with the convictions and the practice of
our people. 1t has met with the IN
wavering support of her highest judi
cial authority. Ask the intelligent for
eigner in what special way u Amer
lean constitution has been made the
most distinct advance upon the pre-
oedence of other countries, and in all
probability he will assure you that our
supremest step forward forbids the boil
STEERING up of spiritual or supernatural
precepts by civil enactments. Any vio-
lation of this law of conduct could not
fail to be the height of Inconsistency
under a constitution which covers with
the agis OF its protection every possible
sect and vagary of religious belief, sup.
ports none, gives preference to none.
Exactly the same limitations cover
the provisions of our Sunday laws. AS
an actual fact, the majority Of our pop.
ulation believes in setting aside one day
in seven, For this observance they be,
lieve they have divine authority. With
the validity or i%nyalidlty Of that tenet
the state has nothing to do. But the
state does recognize that, from the
standpoints of physical, intellectual an6
moral well-being, 1t is the part of wis
dom to set aside II day in the weel
for actual rest. Whether that rest bt
devoted to things sacred or things secu-
lar is purely for the individual to decide
and the state will support him in hi
decision, provided always that the res
he chooses tends TO no violation of clvi
order and public veal. In the eyes o
the state, and rightly SC, Sunday ia tn
best day of rest, because it harmonize
with the wishes of the religiously in
cllned and works no harm to others
But the conditions of our modern lf
demand that many kinds Of work should
go on uninterruptedly. The work ma
not rest, the men may, and should
Whether they shall do SO on ono da
more than another depends entirely o
the individual will and the necessitie
Of employees. ''The Sabbath was mad
for man"
The Pitttsburg crusaders are fore
doomed to defeat. There was a tim
when good, honest men believed that
beneticent Creator took pleasure in tn
~self-inficted fortunes of his worshiper.
that he loved a doleful face more than
merry one, and that his appreciation c
music was on a par with that of tn
Englishman who coasted OF KNOWN
two tunes. The one was "God Save tn
King" The other-wasn't. The tim
for all that has gone by. The prosec,
ton and persecution of the Sundu
ne newspaper will follow.
ANGLOMANIA.
In a recent contribution TO the Ne
York Times a certain weak-minded cor
tributor essays to break a lance in b.