Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-02-06
BLUE SUNDAY BILL
HAS PUBLIC HEARING
Committee of Lower House
Allowed OratOry Full Sway
Last Evening

One day of rest in seven was the
theme that occupied the attention of
the house committee on health and pub
lie morals last night in the house Of
representatives ON the subject of Rep
resentative Gore 3 bill to make Sun
day day of rest. Several representa-
tive business men of Portland were
present to speak against the measure
being reported back to the house fav-
orably and Others pressed the matter
for a favorable report.
Rev. G. l.. Tufts, superintendent Of
the weekly day of rest league, spoke
in favor of the bill and said that its
provisions did not apply to the sale OF
drugs, medicines, gasoline, or other nee
essary articles, nor did it apply to the
members of any religious seets who OBJ
served another day than Sunday.
He declared it was framed to aid the
businessman who is shut up in his store
six days of the week and mostly sew
en-. He asserted that man needed one
day of rest in seven as it would pro-
mote the public health and give men
chance to enjoy their families. He said
it aided public morals and that one
day of rest was needed to preserve the
welfare of the country and insure its
prosperity.
Rev. H. G. Thurston, of the Seventh
Day Adventist church, denied the right
under the constitution to legislate in
this manner. He quoted an authority
that stated that governments have no
right to punish citizen whether he
processes religion or none.' How can
religious standard be set up and then
punish those who disobey. The burden
will fall on the non-Christian. He said
the power to legislate was over things
temporal and not over things spiritual.
He said the proposed legislation was
wrong and against the highest instincts
of man. He declared all Sunday legis-
lation result of pagan Rome.
Carl Gregg Doney, of Willamette uni
versity, took up the cudgels in favor
of the Sunday closing law and declar-
ed the opponents of the measure were
trying to raise religious issue that
was not in it. The measure was intend
ed to aid the poor man, the worker,
who is compelled by force of economic
necessity to work seven days in the
week. He quoted the historianMeauley |
who said that it was because of the
observance of Sabbath for over 300I
years that our civilization was firmly
founded.
He declared that one day of rest is
written in the bible of human nature
and that the product of the man who
works seven days is less in quantity and
poorer in quality. He said the men
work not because their employers are
but because they are press
ed to the limit He said it was not re-
ligious legislation but humanitarian.
Dan Kellaher of Portland, charged
that the people did not wish Sunday
closing, that in Portland they voted it
down by large majorities. He cited elec
tion figures in Portland and showed
that 10,297 voted for Sunday closing
and 23,502 against. In California, he
said they voted Sunday closing down
by vote of 290,674 for and 457, 1870
against. He declared that people all
over Oregon from the ranges of the
eastern part to the cities of the west
ern did not want such legislation.
Other speakers against the measure
were J. E. Dunn of Portland; w. T. |
IIuiHe1 SA-ulStIICt attuTlity lOE h huituu- |
NAH county; G. e. Monroe, president
of the Independent retail groeers league
of Portland, and Mr.. Hayward, Sew,
enth Day Adventist.
Mrs. Ada Wallace Unruh, noted pro-
worker, spoke in behalf Of the
bill, and Rev. Tufts closed the argu-
ment. Regarding statement Of Rev.
Tufts concerning certain amendments
up before the people in Portland, Dan
Kellaher point blankly charged that it |
was an untruth, and Rev. Tufts de-
clared his statement was made on the
of one who was supposed to
know.
The committee took the matter un-
der advisement.