The record-union., 1897-01-23

to enact a Sabbath law to prohibit
secular labor and business and all pub
lie sports and amusements," etc. Now
on the plea that men need one day OF
rest in seven for physical reasons, why
prohibit only secular labor and business
on the rest day. l know from expert
ence that the performance of religious
labor is often more wearing on both
body and mind than secular labor. The
ministers as a rule take their rest on
Monday; that is, those who take rest
day at all. Then why do not other people
rest when they choose. Are our law
makers to so legislate that the ministers
become a privileged class? AS to the
laboring men, it is coming to be more
and more patent that many of them
need a days work in seven rather than
a days rest.
But suppose a few men, and they are
indeed few, who cannot rest one day in
seven (or it's equivalenD if they want
to, must therefore everybody be COM
PEELED to rest on a specific day whether
or not they SO need or SO desire? Every
body needs to take certain amount OF
sleep in twenty-four hours, why not
have a sanitary law compelling all to
sleep at certain hours and fine them for
insomnia or any other default in the
matter.
This civil Sabbath plea is the veriest
subterfuge for fastening upon the people
the observance of a religious institution.
If it is not so, why are all the arguments
for Sunday law SO heavily laden with
reference to the desecration of the Sab
h9fh,2 If it iC yyhU the nhlIO-
sophie arguments for a needed weekly
rest always applied to Sunday by the
advocates of Sunday laws? These men
who clamor for enforced Sunday obser-
vance, no matter what their pretense,
invariably demonstrate that it is relig-
ious legislation that they want and
should the Legislature grant their re-
quest the act would be religious legisla-
ton and an opening of the door to
further religious legislation. l submit
that the setting apart of a day for re-
ligious purposes by the Legislature is
an establishment of religion, and vio-
lation of the Constitution, no matter
how many States have set the example.
DR. Cantine according to your report,
thinks the people of California ought
to have pride enough ito be decent.
and to be American" Well, he knows,
and everyone else knows, that there
are as decent and loyal people in Cali
fornia as in any State of the Union.
And there is reliable testimony that
Sunday observance will average a fair
comparison with any other State in the
Union, even without a compulsory Sun
day observance law. There Is no State
In the Union that is making more ado
over the Sunday question than Penn
sylvania. 1t has a Sunday law more
than hunderd years old; 1t has long
been the principal stamping ground Of
the national reform movement, with its
headquarters and weekly organ ait
Pibtsburg; and yet there is no place Of
which that organ makes more COM
plaint In the matter of Sunday obser-
vance than in Ptttsburg.
Your report further says that "Dr.
Briggs stated that the repeal of the
old law was brought about by one of
those sleek men who were anxious to
have the law abolished, and who went
about it promising to have a better bill
introduced and passed, which should
make the Sabbath better observed than
before"
Now, / wonder if DIR. Briggs thinks
all the people are dead who lived in the
State at that time? l cannot account
for such a bold statement on any other
theory. Thousands of people know that
the repeal of the old law was brought
about by a direct vote of the people
The repeal of the Sunday law was a
direct issue in the campaign of 1882
and was carried by a majority of about
II 600 So eager was the Legislature
to carry out this emphatic sentiment
of the people that the repeal bill was
among the very first measures intro
duced and enacted.
Furthermore, l submit the PROPOSE
ton, which is neither new nor orig
inal with me, that civil government
was instituted to 81 - to the people
their equal rights. 1t has nothing to
do, of right, with the religion of the
people 1t is not within the legitimate
purview of the Legislature to say how
or when the people shall rest or work
or observe the Sabbath. Sabbath OBJ
servance is a matter of conscience, of
which the Almighty is the sole right
full Judge The interference of the
State with religious questions can only
be an injury to both the civil and re-
ligious interests of the people.
1t is said that California and Idaho
are the only States that have no Sun
day laws. Well, that is not the only
feature of California. 1t
is the only State, with one inferior ex-
ception, that extensively raises tropical
fruits. Shall we cut down our tropical
fruit trees in order to be like the other
States? California being one of only
two States where the American princi-
pie of civil and religious liberty can be
said to be fully in vogue, untrammeled
by any bonds on the conSciences of the
people let her Loyalty maintain the
proud distinction. She may yet be to
the older States what America was to
the old world-the asylum of the op-
pressed The growing tendency to en-
force the Sunday laws in the States,
and to make them even more vigor-
Gus, is sure to bring oppression upon
those who value the freedom of con-
science more than the good will of re-
ligious tyrants. California can we'll af-
ford to be the most American State in
the Union May her banner as such |
never be trailed in the dust.
AMERICUS.
All danger of drinking irnp,Ira wa fer ia |