The record-union., 1894-11-30
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION.
It is Still Carried On in Portions Of
the United States.
Outrageous Laws still On the Statute
Books of Some OF the
Southern States.


Monday, November 5th. r. B. Whaley,
q Seventh Day Adventist, was sent to
Jail for ninety days for chopping wood on
the irst day of the week and spadIng in
his garden on that day. This was in
Queen Anne's County, Md. Whaley's
defense was that he is Seventh-Day
Adventist; that he believes the seventh
day is the true day of rest, and that he
observes it as such; that he cannot find
any record of change by divine author
jty of the Sabbath from the seventh to
tie first day Of the week.
Friday, November 9th, w. G.. Curlett
was convicted in the same county OF
working on the first day of the week and
went TO Jail for sixty days. In the same
county. about the same time. Rev. a. j..
Howard of the Seventh Day Adventist
Church was convicted of Sabbath break
ing"
In Graysville, Tenn, d. G.. Plumb was
convicted October I4th of working on the
Sabbath by splitting firewoOd. lie was
sent to Jail for thirty days. dis defense
was that he observes the seventh day as
Sabbath, and that he finds no authority
Whaley Is 10 years old, a man OF fam
lIy, a good citizen, OF irreproachable
character, and man OF deep religious
convictions. Curlett is fisherman,
aged no. a man OF family and leads d
blameless life. Howard is a clergy man,
and because of his belief in the matter of
the Sabbath he was mObbed III Anne
Arundel County, Md, at Shadyside,
his congregation stoned and driven out,
and he was threatened with hanging.
The assallantS were arrested and dis
charged. Plumb is young man OF high
standing, student at Graysvllle Acad-
envy, and reiIgionist deyout and sincere.
These instances are certified so well that
the facts are not to be disputed success
fully. They are samples OF some twenty
other cases IN this country within brief
time.
All which proves that intolerance still
2bldeS with us; that the blue laws are not
all Withdrawn from the statute books and
that there are men in plenty who still
persecute those who do not conform to
beliefs laid down for them by others. OF
course the laws must De ObeyeQ-eVen
bad IawS-but laws under which such
convictions as these cited can be had area
quarter of a century behind the age and
q full century behind the tolerant thought
OF the time.
y large number of men have been con-
victed III Maryland, Arkansas, Georgia
ana Tennessee within the last eight years,
Tor Sabbath breaking, and III nearly
every case the defendant was q Seventh
Day Adventist. l. l.. Brown of Arkansas
belongs to no church; he was taken in
Tor painting bridge on Sunday, and his
employees were also arrested. but were
dismissed with a reprimand. The re-
Hgionlsts, however, were each heavily
punished. But though railroad trains
We're run on Sunday, saloons and shops
kept open, livery stables and barber
shops, no prosecutions against their pro-
prietors were had. The people of Ar
kansas finally became ashamed of this
Inconsistency and restored law to The
statute books eXemptlng from Sunday
law observance those whose religion
commands them to observe some other
than the first day OF the week as a day Of
rest.
In Tennessee, less than two years ago
AdYentists convicted OF Sabbath break
ing were worked in the street chain
gangs, and at the same time on Sundays
picnic parties were common and trains
ran and tickets were sold for such af-
fairs, but no one ventured to prosecute
the merry makers. Nor did anyone
think of calling to account the railway
managers who worked large gangs OF
men on Sundays within sight of the Jail
where Adventists lay in confinement
Tor Sabbath h-breaking.
In one Tennessee case, that of W. 3.
Capps of Weakley County, he was sent
to Jail for two hundred and eighty-nine
days, in default OF payment OF a fine OF
S12 %, the law allowing Imprisonment
under fine TO count for but twenty i've
cents day. To the credit of the Jews,
be 1t said, that lew of them III New
York City hearing of the case, sent on
the money and had the Christian released
from prison and returned to his farm.
NyNN lii !
see from his cell window on Sundays
saloons and stores open, business sales
made. butcherlng carried on, ETC., and no
one was arrested for these otfenses.
Georgia has been the scene of persecu-
tlon of Adventists. who labor six days
but rest on the seventh instead of the
1irst. In one case, that of Day Conkliu
his offense was cutting wood at his own
door, 1t being In evidence that he had no
wood prepared, and that his family was
suffering becase of the lack Of fire in the
stove. he had moved on Friday and his
household goods were wet from a rain
that fell on that day. He cut wood on
Saturday to dry out the goods and cloth
ing but 1t proved insufficient. He was
compelled TO prepare more on Sunday
and for this he was convicted. One of the
jury declared that the man was convicted
for his declaration Of right to do what he
did, and not for the act itself. One OF the
Jurors anu TWO OF JQ0 witnesses Tor the
prosecution chopped wood the next Sun
day but no arrests followed.
In not one of the scores of cases re-
ported was there offensive labor on Sum
day, generally it was done in a retired
place and did not interfere with anyone.
These notes Of persecution are made
from data furnished by the international
Religious Liberty Society, and there is
no reason for doubling the correctness of
the statements put forth. They prove
that the days of religious persecution
are not wholly gone, and that still in this
free land there is disposition 10 enforce
observance OF rest days in conflict with
the conscience OF believers in other days
as holy.
If the prosecutions cited were not
mainly against those of one particular
faith; If the enforcement OF the Sunday
laws was general, the matter would
assume different form and lose its char
acter OF persecution and intolerance
MacAIahon's Memoirs.