The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-13
FOOLISH YOUNG FAR|S[ES
Who Try tO Ram Religion Down PeO-
pies ThrOats with a Police
mans Club
Miami Herald)

Miami Herald)
Probably there Is no question that
has received more attention and dis
cussion than the one relating TO the
observance Of the first day Of the
week This question comes up at
about regular intervals and again re-
cefves the threshing out that the sub
ject seems always TO demand.
II is cropping out now in the eX-
pressed determination Of certain or
ganizations in the northern and west
ern parts Of the state. to put an end
to all forms Of public amusement and
TO all traffic on the day of the week.
called Sunday.
Invariably, the movement starts
with an attempt to enforce that law
found on the statute books prohibiting
trade and public amuSements Adher-
ents Of the close Sunday law always
rely upon the written words of the
law and always appeal to force to car
ry out their ideas on the subject.
Hence it is well if we examine into the
question Of where we get our ideas
on the observance of the so-called
sabbath.
The ancient Hebrew construed the
fourth commandment as giving him
the right TO enforce the Sabbath OBJ
servance by laws of his own, and
while he might personally, and as a
nation, violate all Of the other nine
commandments. yet he made especial
regulations regarding the enforcement
of the fourth and compelled the people
to comply with those regulations until
they became 50 onerous that our Saw
I
Sabbaths, and showed by his own ac-
tiOns that he would not consider the
man made regulations, however will
ing he was to fulfill the divine law to
the last jot and title
We do not hear much OF the strict
observance Of sunday as a day of
rest for a good many hundred years
after the dispersion of the Jews.
The laws on which the Florida
statutes concerning Sunday are based,
We're first incorporated into the writ
ten law of England. more than two
hundred and sixty years ago, at a time
when. according to historical writer.
England was at the most disgracefut
point in her history.
At the adoption of the constitution
of this state it was stated that all of
he laws of England in force in this
country previous 10 the year 1919.
were the laws of this state, unless
modified by statute.
me laws of the reign of Charles the
Second were thus brought over to
this state. Frequent revisions were
made from time to time. but the laws
all bring down to US the uSages and
customs of more than two centuries
and half ago. in England. In the
year 1879 the present law, with one
mod ifcation, was placed upon our
statute books. and we have been viz
tually governed by conditions that
prevailed in another country so re-
mote in time that they bear not the
slightest relation to the actual cOndi-
tiOns here and now.
| The result has been, as was to be
| expected, that the laws have not heen
enforced and are practically dead let
ters. Law. as has often been said. is
public opinion. and when public Opin-
ion does not sustain written law
that law inevitably becomes a failure
and Of no effect.
These societies of young people wht
are just now discovering that there i:
Va written law to back them in theil
attempts TO make the people obey by
force the fourth commandment, art
more than likely to make new discov
cries in regard to the force of publ,
opinion.
The law delivered from Mount Sina
was addressed to individual conscience
and the penalty for its violation is
, matter between the Law Giver and tn
individual. The state has no power t
enforce on the individual any specif
regulation as to how he shall spen
that day.
| The state can, of course. make an
enforce reasonable rules that vii
compel the individual to so cOnduc
himself on that day, as we'll as a.
others, in a manner that will DOT an
noy or injure those around him. Tha
is as far as the state can go. and tina
is as far as public opinion will sus
tain the state,
The young people who are now s
much enthuSed over the propose
crusade should remember that all in
quisitions, all the drastic laws, all tn
! force of man have never made me
more religious nor more willing
lattend church. The Savior of IN
world never made any threats of eli
| forcing the law. He attempted
draw the world after him. not
4 draw them before him.