The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-28
ARIEL.

Ariel, Jan. 20.-The meeting at
the local Seventh Day Adventist
church of Ariel Jan. IS, resolved
itself into what might be termed a
mass meeting, when resolutions
were passed demonstrating against
proposed Sunday legislation now be-
fore the United States Senate in Con-
gress in Washington, D. c. The res
olutions were brought before the
congregation by Hiram S. Swingle,
elder of the church, and were passed
unanimously. They read as follows:
WHEREAS, the Johnston Sunday
bill, now pending in the Senate of
the United States, is religious in it's
character, in that it is designed to
foster the religious observance of
Sunday, and
WHEREAS, the exemption clause
attached to one of the sections of
this bill indicates most clearly its
religious character, by exempting
from the application of this section
those who belong to religious So
ciety which observes some other day
of the week than Sunday as a Sab
bath, and
WHEREAS, religious legislation
is contrary both to the spirit and
letter Of the Constitution of the
United States, and if carried to it's
logical conclusion means union of
church and state, and the persecu-
tion of dissenters; therefore,
RESOLVED, That we respectful
ly, but earnestly, demonstrate
against the passage of this bill, or
any other bill requiring the observ-
ance of Sunday as a rest day which
may come before the Senate.
Similar resolutions were passed
in every one of the 1000 Seventh
Day Adventist churches in the United
States, thus showing that about TO-
600 members in this denomination
alone are strongly opposed to any
kind of Sunday legislation.
Elder Swingle said the reason
Seventh Day Adventists are so vigor-
ously opposed to the Johnston Sun
day bill in Congress is because the
passage of it would be the first step
towards the union of church and
state, which would ultimately bring
persecution upon dissenters. 1t was
stated that not only are Seventh Day
Adventists opposed to Sunday legis-
lation, but also thousands of others
who love religious liberty.
In giving further reasons why his
| denomination is opposed to Sunday
| legislation, Elder Swingle said:
Our denomination has always
stood for the entire separation of
church and state, and has earnestly
| opposed all attempts at religious leg
| islation. Sunday laws we believe to
be religious laws; therefore we are
uncompromisingly opposed to all leg
islation in behalf of Sunday observ-
ance. Sunday is a religious institu-
| ton; it's observance is a religious
act; a law enforcing that observance
| is a religious law; therefore we be-
| lieve it should not exist in this coun-
! try. The same may be said regard
| ing baptism, prayer, or anything else
| pertaining to religion. We believe
that Christ, the founder of the
church, taught the complete separa-
tion of the church from the state;
! and this, we believe, should be the
attitude of every professed follower
of him.
"Now, as to our attitude regard
ing law to close the saloons on
Sunday. 1t is we'll known by all who
know anything about Adventists that
they are uncompromisingly opposed
to the saloon on all days of the
week. We believe that they are a
menace to the welfare of the state
and that they should not be permit.
ted to carry on their destructive
work; therefore we join in every
movement to secure laws for closing
the saloons entirely"