The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-05-25
puRlrAN eLus laws.
statatss No ssssrs q. 10 seem n .. poo
sibis Mere Enfofs~a.
Charlie AIaekaY.

siaiats. no ssssrs O. 10 seem i-pos-
sibis Mere knfofs.a.
IL IL generality admitted. even By ito
advocates of a strrusr r~lisson thsn 10
usually grosesssd In this twsntisth e~n-
tury. that tho sabbath was made for
man. a.. this Interpretation Includes
recreation IN The Injunction 10 rrst In
the days Of Puritan dominion there Ia
as little doubt that the idea prevailed
moat efectuaiiy that man was taado
Tor the sabbath.
This rellEloa o. a people who DO
lisved Ia taking literal Interpretations
OF the OLD Testament sc their guide In
the government OF a country which
they had misnamrd the land OF tho
free" reached the height Of It's lmpo..
slblc demands at the middle OF the ser
sntr~nth century. A statute framed In
Boston In las regarding tho penalties
for breaking tho ls~s OF Sunday OBJ
s~rvHnc. IL tho srvsrs-t Of any formed
before or since. and shows what a day
Of dismal gloom this day Of rest must
have been.
In the days OF tho Purftsns an OBJ
ssrvauee Of Sunday meant an attend
ancc at all tho church meetings. and II
meant little else. Worship In tho pub
lie meeting house was compelled By
law. When the bell toli~d out TIA sun-
mons. ali must so. willing or other
wise. and Notwithstanding the din,cui-
ties In the ~ay Of the journey. This
often meant q tramp OF many miles
over rough ground where one carried
his footxear In his hands.
At tho time this ssvsr.st Of all stat
utes was passed In Boston. no one
was allowed to so anywhere on sun
day except TO church. unless there was
some extraordinary need OF the err.nd
was one Of mercy. No one was per.
mitted to go from one town to another
On that day or to enter any public
house for drink. Guards were sta
toned At the edge OF town Saturday
light at shutdown to see that no vehicle.
passed either In or out OF the city from
hat time until the close Of the follow
nE day. and labor OF all sort was pro
,ibited.
Even children were not allowed to
70 seen In the street nor young men
md women to promenade In fact. II
vas because the worthy town officials
lad heard OF the grievous mi.demcs-
ior OF childish laughter In public high
Ways. and had been Informed that GER
ain young people had committed the
rense against God OF walking In the
elds on the Lords day. that the stat
to regulatings penalties for these
sults had been enacted.
II was Of no more avail to the Of
ender OF that early day to plead ix-
ORANGE OF the law than IL IL to-day.
till. TO make assurance doubIy sure
hat all inhabitants knew what these
undsy laws were. Minister were r.
uired to read them from In front Of
10 meeting house twice during the
ear. Then woe to any one who chose
ignore them, for the hand Of insf-
-able law. not tempered By mercy,
as upon him.
Parents were responsible for the
OF children between the
res OF 7 and IA. Over that age they
ore required to receive themselves
% penalty Of their own misdoing. For
'saking any Of these laws the nrss
ne. the punishment was . severe
primand from the chief executive Of
. town. II any daring child escaped
r & moment the family corral to
olic upon the public highway. this
toward action would not fail u
IND his parents into open diaGraoA