The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-03-13
MASS NEE T|NGS OPPOSE LAX
SUNDAY LAW
CONTINUED from page II

| Dill The Senate, however, wishes tC
reconsider its act, which viii clear the
| way for consideration of the House
measure probably at early date
Now this meeting, tonight, is not
| and cannot be for inpea chment pur-
poses, other than an arfaignment OF
! ourselves for not having been more
| keenly alert if we are unwilling &c
have change. If there is blame, we
| cannot escape our share. It would
| hardly be good form for US. at this
| time, to attempt great censure towards
| our Legislature. We must remember
| that its members are the ones Of our
| choice. We have, by our votes helped
| to put them where they are. And we
should not forget that the work to
which we have called them is not only
| arduous, but often Of exceedingly in
tricate, character. Their problems are
| both important and perplexing. Since
| We had sufficient confidence in their
| integrity and ability to vote for them,
| believing that they would do the best
| they could in all matters, we must
continue that confidence. until they
forfeit it by an apparent wilful dis
| regard of the best interests of all
| concerned The '.aII concerned" in
cosmopolitan in character, and not we,
who are here gathered, tonight. None,
probably, more than our Legislators
realize that they cannot know all
things, and are liable to error, unless
they may have an occasional express
sion to guide them, as to the sense of
the community upon this or that SUBJ
ject. So if the present situation, in
reference to the Sunday question, is
not to our liking, no one can be more
at fault than we. probably. True we
may have depended upon the special
Sunday law committees to have kept
us informed, but were they under OBJ
legations to so do? Surely if there has
been failure of expression on our part
in the past, and the Legislature has
been nlisled thereby, we must accept
our full share of responsibility, for
whatever mistake may result.
Again, we do not, tonight, presume
to enter upon a discussion of the de-
tails of either Sunday bill. These are
entirely within the province of our
law makers But they are entitled to
know our fullest thought and deepest
convictions concerning the Sunday
question.
There are many and excellent vary
ing opinions in reference to Sabbath
observance yet. upon the whole, there
may be a growing unaninity of senti-
ment in regard to it. Probably, so
long as free will. or free choice, is
universally admitted it will be more
and more agreed that each person must
after knowing Gods original statute,
together with Christ's Interpretation
thereof that each person must settle and
work out Sabbath observance, each
according TO his or her own Individual
conscience.
But misunderstanding and hopeless
confusion arise when we get on to
what are called 'our rights Every
one is full of alarm. ready for defense
or attack. when he regards that his
'fnalienable rights are in any de-
gree, endangered. One person states:
81 am a working man. ! work steadi
ly and hard during six days of each
week, and the strict Sunday construc-
ZIONIST has no right to interfere with
my Sunday. Surely I can go to the
baseball game if I please Another
man says, 1 am strict Sunday con-
structionist. so-calied. I, also, have in
alienable rights. and one is the undis- 1
turbed quiet and peace of my Sabbath. /
others. from the game. as they pass my
doors, is not conducive to this end
And. still a third, perhaps a business
man. says. II have an undoubted right, /!
from business point of view. to the
best of services from my employees on .
Monday mornings. which they are not /
able to give after a pleasure seeking /
Sunday Indeed. Sunday often seems .
to demoralize them to such an extent /
that they do not appear to take up the
conduct of affairs in a way to which 1 1
am certainly entitled. The strings are
not easily gathered up. and earnest ap-
plication does rot take place" There
fore. so far as rights are concerned,
there are all kinds of fnalienable priv
ileges to which people have legitimate
ella i'm, and when we touch upon them,
to measure and adjust
them. We soon become almost hopeless
w entangled. OF course the only thing
TO do is to determine what is right, so
far as WEI can possibly discover 1t,
and then pursue it.
While there is that which appeals to
ones acceptance to some extent, in the
interview with Catholic Bishop Libert,
as reported in last nights Bulletin,
yet reference is made to the large
army of clerks, teachers, and others
''who are confined to their desks all
through the week" and who need
the freedom Of the open air" Granted,
but he may not have been aware of
the fact, or it may have escaped his
mind that number of years ago, this
need was seen and recognized and sup
Piled by a voluntary movement, on the
part of both christian, and non-chris-
tan houses, where they Joined in per-
to their clerks every Saturday
afternoon. as an extra half-holiday.
This plan has continued In quite
number OF houses ever since, and it
would be well If it could be more uni
-ersally adopted. However, there would
De but little encoura cement to this end,
f the baseball and football games, and I
,ther sports were to be authorized and I
to Sunday Also, SO far {