Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-08
Against the Sunday Rest Bill.

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
/ nope you will permit me. through your
valued paper. to sly u few words more in
reference to the proposed Sunday law for
the District. Again, i and a multitude
of Others are compelled to dissent from
the views presented by the Rev. DIR. Ell
lott j am pleased to know that the gen.
tleman agrees with me on SO many points
PRE- scented in my former letter. I take
it that he agrees with me on all points
not controverted. But how he can find
I'm the expression Sundays excepted a
recognition of Sunday, and precedent for
enacting Sunday laws, is rather difficult to
conceive. The Constitution nowhere says
the President shall rest on Sunday. nor
does it say that Congress may enact that
the President shall rest on Sunday nor
that he shall not sign any bill on Sunday
but simply In the count of days Sunday
shall he dies non- Congress has no more
rlSh to require that any citizen shall dis
reSart. a religious Institution than to make
a law establishing q religious institution.
therefore, in accordance with the great
principle of religious freedom on which
OUT government Is founded, the President
was granted freedom. in express terms to
observe the only religious institution in
VOWED IN TINS QUESTION, II he was so dis
posed. There is a wide difference between
Congress leSislating that every man shall
observe a Sabbath and leaving him free
10 10 that which may be, and is with
many. a matter of faith.
The Declaration OF Independence asserts
mat men have inaiienabie rights, and that
governments are Instituted 20 secure these
rights. not to invade them. The conven-
ton that framed the Constitution had a
perfect right to adjourn over Sunday but
by this act it did not obligate Congress
TO compel all men to follow lis example
IN observing the day. The individual MEM
,ferhf no haIia,
IL the Sunday institution and regard it
Tor themselves, but it would have been
tyranny Tor them to have enforced their
religious practice upon the people of the
nation.
1t IS sufficient answer to Dr. Elliott.s
question as to whether the District gov
eminent did enact sectarian laws to
Say mat no human government is infalIi-
bic. and laws have been enact ted even in
this land of liberty. that have resulted in
ssniins Christian men 20 prison and the
cram sang for no crime whatever ex-
cept that they had violated the religious
sentiment of the people that had been
enacted into law.
The chief object of the pending bill is to
get congress committed in favor of the re-
hSicus sentiment Of the people as regards
the Sunday institution. Let US see how this
Dill would affect the liberty of the whole
community After the prohibitions of the
DIN the second section provides that it shall
he sufficient defense to a prosecution for
servile labor on the first day of the week
mat the defendant uniformly keeps another
day OF the week as a day of rest T-hera ia
no guarantee that the man who observes
another day shall not be arrested on Sum
day and locked up until Monday and then
pc Drought before the court to make a de-
Tense want to ask, is it in harmony with
nbefty That American citizens and Chris
tlans should thus be subjected to arrest and
arraisnment. and be compelled to prove
-. ma - 'nes observe another Sabbath. in order
10 De exempt from the operations of a re
IglouS law? And also that the labor com
plained of was done in such a manner q q
not 10 interrupt or disturb other persons
WEI tHe oas dss OF the first day of the
a 10" IN their favor they will be Disturbed
III tney nave to turn detective and go nrv,no
mo windows to see if they cannot find some.
men nave reported having done the last few
sundays past. This Is not the Wors. feature
OF this clause. for there is no nroy;s;on
Whatever for the man or woman who has
no FeHSiouS convictions. If he cannot set nm
the defense provided for in the bill ba nonst
nieehly submit and keep the religious dav
Mhether ne VIII or rot. There is no Hberfv
,,,i,i y. - monopoly He must not be dis
.urpNa; the state must protect us in every
Hnutia Is the spirit of this measure an,
atnflstlan, but believe that the God-eiven
ri s;,a Of every man is inalienable
Ihe bill being religious and ONLY raIioio,,.
1t follows conclusively that Congress- is nosi'
,Nes torb!dden by the first amendment to
haEe "nythins at all to do with it, for that
sueh Is the intent of the first amendment is
evident from the following consideration
Aih'd the discussion and the interesting and
important events that Immediately preceded
ana, IN fact, led up to the making of the
constitution as 1t is as respects religion.
tniS "hoie question was widely discussed.
and James Madison published these weighty
Worcs: We hold it for Fundamental and
hndeniable truth that religion or the duty
Which we owe to our Creator, and the man
ner OF dtscharging il, can be directed ONLY
by reason and conviction not by force or
violence. The religion, then, of every man
must be left to the conviction and con-
science or every man, and 1t Is the right of
every man to exercise it as these NAV dic-
tate FOR these and other reasons we Dro-
test against the proposed District Sunday
Dill ALLEN MOON.