The record-union., 1893-01-28
Religious Liberty.


every American heart in which there
dwells a spark of patriotism. The
! founders of our free Government de-
signed that this should be the home of
| liberty, and a peaceful refuge for the
| oppressed and prosecuted Of every land.
! Religious liberty as far surpasses any
| other that can be named as the hope of
an eternal life of happiness transcends
| this feeting life of sorrow and imperfec-
ton. This was the very thought that
kindled the unquenchable fire Of patriot
| ism in the hearts Of our forefathers.
| In reply to questions about the design
of the Constitution, George Washington
/ wrote, August 4, 1889, as follows:
| IF l had the least idea of any diff
Guilty resulting from the Constitution
/ adopted by the convention of which [
had the honor to be President when it
/ was formed, so as to endanger the rights
Of any religious denomination, then L
! never should have attached my name to
| that instrument. If | had any idea that
! the General Government was so ad-
ministered that the liberty of conscience
! was endangered, | pray you be assured
! that no man would be more willing than
myself to revise and alter that part Of it,
/ so as to avoid all religious prosecutions.
| You can, without doubt, remember that
| have often expressed my opinion that
every man who conducts himself as a
good citizen, is accountable alone TO God
| for his religious faith, and should be pro-
tected in worshiping God according to
the dictates OF his own conscience"
And can 1t be that the favored children
of such patriots are, as soon as one brief
century has passed, sending in petitions
/ to the beautiful Capitol OF California ask
ing the lawmakers of the Golden State
: +r 1al In lott~ ~ sn4f
opinions and practices upon all who differ
with them? Win not the American
eagle take its everlasting flight from our
shores, and the cnlors fade from every star
Spangled banner at such suggestiOn2
But 'who is he and where is he the
wicked Haman) that burst presume in
his heart to do Sc? ?' Have the Jews be-
come so numerous and 50 wealthy that
| they are joining with others who hold
the same religious opinions concerning
the sabbath to force their Sabbath by law
upon all the people of our nation2 If
this is so, will not all the bells of the
| Catholic and Protestant Churches in our
| land soon be cast into cannon and turned
upon the enemy, to defend the most
sacred rights of the people? And if the
Jews find no law, precept example nor
sacred title given in the Bible in favor OF
the day they observe as the Sabbath,
what right have they to enforce it upon
others? And if they could ind ali these,
can anyone, save those who are engaged
in this work Of blind injustice, fail to see
that they have no more right to enforce
this part of their religion upon others
than they would to enforce their kind OF
baptism or any Of their other ceremonies?
Yes, if Mordecai the Jew is the enemy
that hath done this, think there will be
strong vote against it. just read the
petition and see into what bondage the
Jew intends to bring lis.
"Petition-IO enact law forbidding
all Sunday traffic and work, as well as
all coarse and noisy amusements on that
day OF the week, making suitable excep-
! ton for works of necessity and mercy,
and for private work by those who ye-
ijgioHSly and regularly observe another
day Of the week by abstaining from la
Dor and business on the same"
Come now, be honest, my orthodox
brethren, do you think that Jew is tread
ing very gently on our toes?
And behold how he adds insult to in
jury! Proposing, after robbing us of our
rights, to gracously give US back the
light to do works Of necessity and
mcrcy," and on condition that we "re-
l{gjoHStY and Tegutdrty observe another
day. dn the manner that he shall die
tate. lie VIII permit US 10 do some kinds
OF work in very quiet, private" way.
How shall we reply TO the Jew? Shall
we bend low and in a bondman's key !
Will Udltl DICdtu anu Whispered num- ]
DlenosS, say this: Fair sir, Won spit on
me on Wednesday last, another time you
called me dog. & s. Hath q dog mon
eys? Is it possible cur can lend three
thousand ducats?" You see there is no |
alternative. 1t is bondage in either case |
The law is to enforce either his day, or the
one that we may choose, for ii must be
observed ''relgi0usyy and regHlaUly."
How many of you, my orthodox
friends, are ready to sell your birthright,
be robbed of your most saced rights and
one-siXth of your time, and then have
the Jew throw back a scrap to you as he
would to a starving dog? But hold! And
if and If, ah, fatal mistake 1t was the |
other OK that was gored. The enemy
that hath done this is not Mordecai, the |
Jew. 1t is that wicked Haman," who
has been laying a dark and secret
plot for the destruction OF those who keep
the only weekly Sabbath that has anV
sanction in the Bible. 1t appears upon /
investigation that the petition comes from
those who kept the first day OF the week. !
having had the custom handed down to |
them from Haman and all the other !
heather foreiathers who keep that day in
honor of their chief god, the sun. AL |
though no amount Of Bible evidence in !
favor of doctrine would justify any man |
in forcing his religion upon others by |
law, yet, as the authors ofthe petition seem |
to present IT upon religious basis, and |
appear TO claim the 1900 ducats or the |
pound Of flesh" l would put their re-
Hgious zeal and sincerity 10 the test by |
an offer mot of 5000 ducats), but $500 re- /
ward, for Bible verses as follows:
one hundred dollars for one verse that |
calls Sunday, or the first day of the we5k, /
1.-THE Sabbath" or "the Lords Day" or /
applies to It any sacred title.
One hundred dollars for one verse that I
contains any law, precept or command /
for observing the first day of the week as |
a day Of rest or as a sacred day.
One hundred dollars for one verse that /
says that the first day of the week was /
ever so observed by Christ or any OF his /
disciples.
One hundred dollars for one verse that /
says that the first day of the week ought
TO observed as day of rest or as a sacred /
day by any one.
One hundred dollars for one verse that
pronounces any penalty or condemnation
for doing common labor on the first day
of the week.
10 the law and to the testimony; if
they speak not according to this word, it
is because there is no light in them. D.
Isa. viii, 20.
Will California put the power into the
hands OF religious tyrants to crimson her
purest streams and stain Freedoms soil
with the blood OF martyrs?
0 California Land of roldl O sum-
mer-iand OF fruits and flowers! o land
Of freedoml Only State unstained to-
day by Sunday-laws, shall the many
voices OF innocent victims call to thee in I
vain from the prison cells and chain
gangs OF tennessee to keep thy record
clean? a. X. OwEy.
Sacramento, Cal, Jan. q, 1888. !