Arizona republican., 1907-11-22
NOT BY LEGISLATION ARE NATIONS RELIGIOUS
Mir. H. B. Thurston's Observations on the Enhancement of Sunday Laws.

After having learned by every state
 ment of Scripture upon the subject
 that there is no divine authority for
 Sunday observance. there are some
 well-meaning people no doubt who
 still insist that Sunday laws are to be
 desired. sought after. and labored for
 most earnestly Now if religion en- forced b. law makes men better. then
 in appearance at least. religious laws might he desirable: but every true be-
 liever in the teachings of the lowly
 Nazerene is aware how men are made Christians and that it is not by human
 laws which God himself gave relating
 tc mans dut. to God. We discover a
 diversity bf views regarding Sunday laws. some opposing them becasue laws nor by men enforcing even the | they only can make people appear to be better when in fact they are not changed at heart. lf man wishes, to labor on Sunday. but cannot work without suffering fine or imprison-
 ment. he does not rest from choice. but only because he is forced to rest, i is the man any more righteous? If so, how? What is d hypocrite? One who { appears to be what he is not, and any religious law. which forces man to | he ff.-oocrte or else suffer fine or ! imprisonment. cannot be la" to be d, sired by fait minded men. and such law in its very nature Is, purely un- , American. and as it is contrary in ev- | cry sense to the whole teaching of [ Christ. is un-C Christian.
 ! Again. when laws are enacted and
 not enforced. the people living under them are thus taught to disrespect law.
 and become lawless: and to have a re- ligious law enforced against those who may differ from the doctrine it en- | forces. is persecution pure and simple. { That no persecution might ruin our | homes and bring disgrace upon our na- z tion. as it had upon almost every na- ton in Europe for many centuries.
 the founders of this republic did what they could to bar its wretched work | from ever being carried on in these | United States.
 | But g change seems to be coming over many people; and. as though they did not know the operation of such ] laws for many centuries, they now act very strangely and seem to consider it ' d step forward to enter the path strewn with whitened bones of many martyrs. i Was t mistake to raise the flag of | liberty in 1Ia6? Did our noble fathers make a mistake when they wrote. Congress shall make no law respect | ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereOf?'
 Is demand for religious law tO en- | force religious institution. carrying out the principles of truth upon which , our government was built. or k it an effort to undermine the foundation which upholds il? And if the lust for power. and popularity shall sap its life.
 and dig away its very foundation. what
 can possibly be left for our government
 but ruin. and the rise of kinsly pow
 er. and establishment of church
 yreed. as in bygone days? As strange and inconsistent as it may sean. vet upon the authority of Gods word. we
 know such conditions will surely come again. and our land of the free" must change its motto. 'Liberty'' to flag
 on which "Despotism" will be inscrib- ed
 God says six days shalt thou labor. 70 and we find class of people who are
 c"nscientiously observing this law. and they keep the seventh day and not the first. and the:- must suffer the loss of one da:'s labor each week or suffer fine or Imprisonment under a sunday law. This was tried in Arkansas. and with two -edrs of persecution against honest. conscientious men and women. good citizens in ever,- other respect the legislators gladly made change | that such persecution might not con- tinue. The state of California also had a Sunday law. but after d trial. it. too,
 became distasteful and was repealed. We hardl: believe the better element
 of broad minded and thinking people
 of Afizona. upon mature reflection.
 wish to grace their reputation with any
 such history. Gambling never was a
 religious institution 6unless as it has l occurred in church fairs. rallies or something of that sort) while the Sun
 day institution is religious and always has been.
 Hon. Jas. T. Ringold. of the Balti- more bar. in his Legal Sunday" shows
 how Sunday laws are class legislation.
 and opdNate against the poor. Out of
 many illustrations. we cite one which
 ha ira