Evening star., 1911-05-25
Divine Law Behind It.

L IL ID tllIS. NC iOlO ti1dS eiiC SC'Si
day Sabbath has divine law behind It
and does not need a human law to make
its observance mandatory on men, that
| its observance is mandatory, but that to
| pass a human law enforcing the OBJ
| servace of the day is to so outside the
| sphere of proper legislation, Is union
OF church ana state to that extent ana
an abridgement OF the religious freedom
| of all classes of citizens; tnat to pass a
| human law to enforce a Sabbath would
| be an insult to its divine Author, an i'm
| plication that He is unable to protect and
perpetuate his own institutions.
I'm view of the explicit declarations
| made on this point the committee re-
| iteration in print of that charge is, to
| hold that the civil government has no
right whatever to enter the realm of re-
| ligion, but If IL is wrong for 1t TO enter
| that realm II is doubfy wrong for 1t to
enter there and seek to enforce law
which is directly contrary to the law OF
God and would nullify one of its plainest
precepts.
1--WE would also call attention to the
| fact that in attempting to answer the
second objection to the measure, that 1t
tends to unite church and state, the
committees argument Is nullitied by it's
own declarations in urging the enact
ment of the proposed Jaw.
1t reads: The seat of government of
the United States is. with one exception.
the only territory within its jurisdiction
| in America where the fourth command
ment has been repealed or is practically
ignored Then this bill is attempt to
re-enact the repealed fourth command
ment. 1t cannot be questioned that the
| fourth commandment is a religious law,
that 1T Is a part of that great code upon
which all true religion is based and by
which it Is tested. And when the state
enacts into law the laws on which the
church Is builded it cannot be denied that
such legislative activity constitutes a
union of church and state.
The Fourth Commandment.
THE third objection which the said
report states is urged against the
measure is that 1t is AN attempt to
legislate the fourth commandment into
law And the committee virtually ad-
mits the contention when it says that
this objection will appeal to few peo-
| pie who believe that an all-wise God
and loving Father was the author or
/ that commandment 1t further admits
| that the bill is religious and based
upon the Decalogue by using the ex-
| pressions reverence for the ten COM
mandments. duty to carry out the
divine law faith. in the existence of a
! Supreme Being etc.
/ The fourth objection which the COM
mittee mentions and seeks to answer is
that the bill is unconstitutional TIC
| answer that objection, the report cites
! the decision of a state court in reference
| to state Sunday law. but the argument
| does not apply. inasmuch as the state
| did not have in its constitution pro-
vision declaring that 1t could not make a
| law respecting religion. The United
i States Constitution, however, does have
just such a provision. 1t reads: Congress
| shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment OF religion or prohibiting the
| free exercise thereof
| THE members of the committee ought
| to know that the constitution of Ohio
| does not control the United States. The
| United States has a Constitution of its
own. and by that is forbidden to enac
just such a law as Senate bill 237. which
| Senator Johnston has drawn UP, and
| which he proves to be religious. and
therefore unconstitutional by the very
argument which he uses to defend it
To defeat such IA bill in this country nc
| other argument ought to be necessary
than that which the author Of the bill
has himself presented.