Evening journal., 1911-02-17
WORKING ON
SABBATH DAY
AdveutlSts Claim the Right to
Do Work on First Day
Of Week

Editor of THE EVENING JOURNAL
On Sunday February 9TH. twenty
two employees of Henry Sonnoborn and
d Co., clothing manufacturers, of South
\ Paca street, in Baltimore, were placed
under arrest for Sunday labor They
were making no disturbance whatever
9 in the way of interfering with anyones
: devotions. They were simply cXorcis-
4 ing their Godgiven right to labor on
B six days OF the week. They were obser-
4 vers of the seventh day Of the week
n Sunday. They had rested Oh that
4 day in accordance with the fourth COM
\ mandment Of the law of God IN order
a TO make a living, they were compelled
4 to labor on the six other days Now,
il happens, that the law OF the State Of
Maryland is in conflict with the law of
4 God. for It sets apart the first day OF
h the week, instead of the seventh ais a
q day when all must refrain from labor
4 II These people preferred to obey the law
4 of God rather than the law of tie
State and they refrained from labor on
the seventh day of the week for the
A purposes of worship. Now the law OF
a God also declares. six DAYS shalt
thou labor and 90 all thy work" and i'm
order TO carry that out and also that
OF life for themselves and their fam
A lies those people went in to Work on
= the first day of the week, and then the
State steps in and compels them 10 re-
& frain from labor also upon the first
day OF the week. In other words tho
= State compels these people TO pay
tax of one days labor week for tho
y privilege of holding views which arc
not i'm harmony with the religious
y views Of some other people. And this
II IN q country whore we boast of our
Is freedom of conscience and worship,
and I'm State which declares in the
S6th article of its declaration of rights
"That as il is the duty OF every man
TO worship God in such manner as no
thinks most acceptable to him, all per-
sons are equally entitled 10 protec-
ton i'm their religious liberty; where
fore no person ought by any law to be
molested in his person or estate ON
account Of his religious persuasion or
profession, OF for his religious prac-
q tice."
There are limits to the authority
IL of the civil power. and these limits
should be clearly understood by the
q people. A Republican form of Govern
mont, as contracted with an absolute
monarchy, implies a limitation TO the
& powers of the Government beyond
which it can not righfuliy go
Civil Government is not The GUS
tOdan of the souls Of the people Upon
all the pages of human history the
truth is written large that there are
two spheres OF life in which man
moves-the higher sphere OF con-
science and of his relation to GOd--and
the lower sphere of temporal matters
and of his relation to his fellow men
with the first of which the civil power
can rightfully have nothing to do.
Again and again the Almighty has vim
| 4 dicatcd the course of those who, in or
| y der to be true TO him, have refused
| III obedience 20 unjust mandates OF the
| y civil authority The darkest pages Of
ia history are those recording he re-
IN SUITS OF fhe,invasion OF the ciyA power
| Of the realm OF conscience. The early
! 3 history Of most Of the leading religious
| 4 denominations Of this day was marked
by their resistance to the dictates Of
| Il the civil power outside the sphere OF
III its legitimate authority
Ia Governments are instituted among
men to preserve the natural. nalien-
able rights which men have by ere
| & alton; that is, as individuals; and not
IL 70 curtail those rights. or take them
away. When civil government inFades
those rights. as has been done in the
case of the Maryland Sunday laws. It.
does exactly the opposite Of that which
Il is instituted to do. This is a peryert-
ed and illegitimate use of its power.
III Legislatures cannot create natural
ID rights, neither can they make right
III wrong or wrong right. The law OF
Id right and wrong is a law antedating
~ and wholly independent OF any legis-
IL latiye enactments. Legislators arc
III bound to shape their legislation by
ls their knowledge of this law of Justice
which is inherent In the human mind,
IL and their legislation will be excellent
l in proportion as they approximate to
l this ideal standard. II is proper 90 say
therefore, that the province OF The leg
IL islature is not 10 create law. but to as
certain and define il. Righteousness is
IL law. and has been such since the
i foundation Of the world. It is binding
iE upon men everywhere and at all times.
III All men are bound. always. to do right
The question. What is the law? IA
I not therefore, the question at issue I'm
IL this case There is another question "
ing deeper than this. and that is the
III question, What is right? Sometimes I'M
III Justice becomes enthrOned in law but
that does not put anyone under an OBJ
legation to do wrong. He is still bound
| to do right, still bound by conscience
to the higher law Of God. This higher
III law must be obeyed at any cost.
A statute commanding one to cont
nit murder on certain occasions. OF
to steal. or to swear falsely would
not be binding on any one. and would
not be obeyed and the reason given
for disobedience to it would he that il
was unjust No one would claim that
It ought to be obeyed simply because
It was "the law" and what would be
true of such a statute would be true Of
NJ every enactment that is contrary &c
the law Of God as this Sunday law is