Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-02-15


this country, but in all countries
recognizes Sunday as the first day o
the week: therefore Saturday, the
world over. is the seventh day OF the
week. And, according to the testi
mony OF Christ, as read from the New
Testament, Saturday, the seventh day
OF the civil law of the commonwealth
OF Massachusetts, and of all the coun-
tries OF the world, is the Lords day, a
memorial OF the creative power OF
Jesus Christ. The defendant is, there
ore, according to the Lords book, not
guilty of keeping open shop on the
4serfsvday. 0~ v'r--~- p ---'.-,-vs---- - -
1t is admitted that the scriptures
which have read were written thirty
years after the resurrection of the
Lord therefore, the Holy Spirit which
the Lord promised to send, and did
send, to lead men into all truth, after
he ascended to his father, and which
indicted the scriptures quoted, teaches,
thirty years after the ascension of the
Lord, and still teaches to-day, that
the seventh day of the wcek-the day
preceding the first day. OF the WEEKS
the Lords day, according to the fourth
precept OF the Decalogue.
The command relative to the Sab
bath regulates the Christians duty
every day in every weekly cycle in
every year; in fact, it regulates the
duty of man every day of his life: and
the command, "Six days shalt thou
labor" is just as explicit as the COM
mand to rest the seventh day.
Civil law cannot regulate the duties
enjoined by the first four precepts of
the law. These precepts enjoin duties
which can be rendered to God only,
and defendant is accountable alone to
God for the manner in which he OBJ
serves the fourth commandment.
Your honor, I claim the divine
right of dissent, and therefore deny
the right of the Pope of Rome, the
Gear Of Russia, the President of the
United States, or the Mayor of the
city OF Everett, to prescribe for me my
religious duty. All ask, as a free
born American citizen, and as man,
is the free exercise OF my civil and re-
ligious right to worship God according
to the dictates ofmy own conscience.
deny the right of the magistrate to
compel me to observe the first day OF
the week, and thereby deprive me of
| e..s-six.h- Of ny sisnsin wisish 10 earn
my living.
Ihave observed the Sabbath since
1878, previous to which time kept
Sunday. require no civil law to en-
able me to keep the seventh day, and
every one around me exercises bis
right to keep Sunday and labor on
Saturday; and no man disturbs me in
keeping Saturday. 1 disturb no man
on Sunday or on any other day, and
no man thus accuses me. All 1 ask is
the free exercise of my right to wor.
ship Him who said, "The Son OF man
is Lord also of the Sabbath" and the
right to labor six days, according to
the dictates of my own conscience, so
long as I do not actually disturb my
neighbors.
Your honor, I have not inteIfer d
with any natural or constitutional
right of my neighbors, and 1 am not
guilty of keeping open shop on the
Lords day. And I trust you will so
decide.
The court fined Mr.. Gibson fifty
dollars and costs; but remarked that
he would not attempt to defend his
decision except to cite precedent OF
q higher court. Mr.. Gibson appealed
his case. and it should have been tried
ere this; but the case is still pending,
although Mr.. Gibson, who is q poor
man, has repeatedly demanded trial
in the interests of himself and his
business.