The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-05-19

The Blue Law Problem.
One of the issues which will come
before the next legislature for serious
action vii! be an effort to modernize
the spirit as we'll as the vsrhiags Of the
present Sunday Observance laws Of
l194 1t ia claimed by many persons,
the great majority of whom are con-
scientious. sincere and well-msaning,
that the enforcement Of these laws, to
the full measure of their letter, WAS
never more necessary than now. IL
their position sound2 Is it in accord
with the general teaching and drift of
common sense, or is it an extreme
view, made respectable only because
the persons who share 1t command our
respeotI Without indulging in the
language of sxaggeration or permitting
prejudice TO sway the judgment. what
Is the true function of the state with
reference to the protection of the
Ceristan Sabbath from deseerationP
Has it any right, under our form of
government. to consider the sectarian
or sven the religious significance Of one
given weekly rest day. as opposed to
any othsrH That is to say, is its inter-
ference in the securing of proper OBJ.
serysnce of Sunday due to theological
reasons, or is itfue to the single idea
af ''the greatest good TO the greatest
number.
In this country church and state are
utterly divorced. Our political theory
does not exalt one creed OF class or
faith at the expense OF another 1t
recognizes citizens as equal units; and
it strives to secure the best results for
the greatest number Of those units. In
the state OF Pennsylvania it is our
opinion that goodly majority Of hon.
est citizsns wish the first day OF the
week, commonly called Sunday. to be
observed as day freed 80 far as prac-
ticable from the noises, distractions
and anxieties of ordinary secular pur-
suits This, to our view, is the COM
mon sense Of the thing. We do not,
from choice, recognize religious dis =
tinctions in our laws; and, therefore.
the purely religious aspects OF the first
day Of the week become questions for
individual consideration. The sectar-
ian who may wish to worship on q Sat-
urday or Monday has abundant priv.
lege to 30 so; but the very fact that he
is accorded such uncurtAilsd liberty Is
a convincing reason why. in return, he
should be equally eonsiderste Of his
fellow citizens who choose Sunday as
their worship day.
The Su nday laws Of 1894, which il is
proposed to revive in this community,
belonged to time and we're formu-
lated by men who did not recognize
the modern possibilities, who could
not forsses, in fact, the modern demon .
strstion Of complete civil aud religious
liberty To them religion. as inter
preted in the severe exactionI OF a per
secuted sect, was the highest aim; and
to further that aim they did not
scruple to prosecute as they had been
prosecuted, and even to take human
life, as their lives had once been taken
Laws framed in such an atmosphere
laws wordsd under such conditions are
not fit laws to apply unrsseryedly to
the wholly different conditions OF to-
day In the nature Of things they
must be narrow and intense. They
cannot be, and they cannot be con.
strued to be. broad, liberal and in touch
with the wide fellowship prevalent to-
day among all races, classes and creeds.
Ia it nowadays essential TO the reason
able and proper observance OF Sunday
that we should 20 back for our models
to the obsolete standards Of a wholly
dissimilar state OF society," Is the in.
telligence Of 1894 so faulty that 1t must
wear the intellectual cooked hat and
carry the severe vissge Of one hundred
years ago?
In our opinion, no. There is q right
way to go at this thing, and there is also
wrong way. Some Of US are pursuing
the wrong way. Some OF us are doing
work that is meant to be good, but that
cventuates az bad. The mission oi
legislation. in n republic, is to protect
the fair majority in their REASONABLE,
rights We believe that II majority oi
persons in PSnnsylvania--of intelligent
persons, of good citizsns-want to res,
on the first day of the week. Some o!
them want to worship on that day and
some do not; but all want 10 rest
They do not want to be disturbed BY
business cares, either of their OWE
or Of their neighbors. The will ol
the majority should prevail in this mat
ter Business should be generally sus-
pended. Secular pursuits should cease
The din Of traffic and the annoyances
of piping activity should take one day
off. But that Is all. There should b,
no petty compulsions on the part of Q
minority. No coteriS of men shall sa,
to what church the public must 20
what food they must eat or what re-
frsshments they must drink. The will
of the majority, so far as it may prop
erly seek expression In law, will hav,
been subserved when the desired sus.
pension of annoying activities and EN-.
ployments shall have been achieved
All things beyond that enter the do
main of individual option. and are t.
he regulated apart from the statute
books of this commonwealth.
1T NEVER rains but 1t pours. N,
sooner had that ugly sugar trust scan
dal been unmasksd than the Demo
cratic majority in the senate announces