The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-31
RELIGIOUS LEGISLATION.
Seventh-t ~ AdventiSt'S Obiecti~. q
the Sunday Rest Bills.


demanding their passage. may
throw light upon this question.
At a mass meeting held February 26,
$685. In the New York Avenue Presby-
terrain Church, In the interests Of this
proposed legislation. the pastor giving a
brief history of the origin of the move
ment in the District. stated that It origi-
mated about a year previously with the
ministers Of the various denominations in
the city forming themselves into an I'm
terdenominational Committee on Sunday
Observance" To arouse public sentiment
in the movement. he said that this COM
mittee had prepared ana distributed
throughout the city 2000O copies OF a pub
lieation entitled, a Christian Appeal in
Behalf of Sunday Observance" This APP
peal was addressed ITO the People Of
Washington" and, among other things,
said
THE custom Of setting apart one day
IN seven from secular work for worship
and communion with God antedates the
Ten Commandments"
No one can deny that the reason here
given for setting apart one day in seven
from secular work" is religious. The
reason is plainly stated. II is for wor-
ship and communion with God"
The publication further says
ITO keep the Lords day holy, Chris
tians must conscientiously make It a day
Of rest from all secular work"
The prevailing iUea throughout the en-
tire publications. that secular work should
cease on Sunday, in order that the day
may be devoted to worship-that cessation
from secular labor is a prerequisite 10
proper Sunday observance. But this is
precisely what the Johnston Sunday bill
calls for-cessatiOn, as far as possible,
from all secular work and amusement on
Sunday
In the published report of the Interde-
nominational Committee, dated October !,
1907, appeared the following:
The main and necessary feature of
such a movement should he the enlist
ment Of all good citizenship for the pro-
curing OF efficient Lords Day legislation
for the District"
Note the expression, Lords Day legls-
lation" This Itself shows that it is re-
Hgious legislation that IS wanted.
It is useless. therefore, TO deny that the
movement is religious. But if the move
ment is religious, so also are the bills
called for by It; and If the bills are relig-
ious, 20 enact them, or any one Of them,
into law, plainly would be religious legis-
latiOn. and hence unconstitutional
Senate bill 4N contains an exemption
for observers Of another day. But the
terms Of this exemption themselves prove
the measure religious. Those exempt
must be members Of a religious society"
and must observe as a Sabbath" one
day IN each seven, "as herein provided"
Nothing could more clearly show the re-
Hgious character OF the bill than this.
It provides for Sabbath observance"
and makes the observance Of one Sabbath
or another compulsory.
Pre-eminently, therefore. this is a re-
ligious bin. Labor organizations may
have been induced to join in the move
ment, but no man. either iR the District
or elsewhere in this country. is compelled
to labor on Sunday in any legal sense Of
that term. He can refuse 10 work, and
go to church or spend the day as he
likes. In some cases he might lose his
position and be obliged 10 find other en-
ployment, but a religion or a religious
institution for which we are not prepared
to sacrifice is scarcely worth profession
or defense; and a religion that seeks the
aid OF the civil power, at once confesses
its spiritual weakness.
The appeal to numbers In matters OF
conscience IS unworthy Of any one, par
ticularly a Christian, who processes re-
gard for the rights Of conscience. Eighty
years ago. in a report on this very sub
ject of Sunday legislation, Congress said:
The Constitution regards the conscience
OF the Jew as sacred as that Of the Chris
tian, and gives no more authority 70
adopt a measure affecting the conscience
OF q solitary individual than that OF q
whole community
Gideon's army numbered but 800. but It
was on the side OF right and final victory
One Of the first and noblest declarations
Of Professionalism O529), was, In matters
Of conscience, the majority has no pow
err" AS a matter OF fact, however, the
church membership Of the District Of CO.
lumbia Conference Of Seventh-day Ad-
ventists, the people inveighed against for
their opposition to the bill, is more than
twice 800, representing a population Of
approximately 100
Is Il not well that even a few see the
dangers in the first step toward union
OF church and state? And should they
not be commended rather than stigma
t,zad for tbafr fOrasfqbr and that ,5t,or
ence TO American principles? Well did
Madison say: The freemen OF America
did not wait till usurped power had
strengthened itself by exercise, and en-
tangled the question in precedents. They
saw all the consequences in the principle
and they avoided the consequences by
denying the principle
" A CnTr0Pn