Arizona republican., 1917-03-26

tional strength when declared by the municipal laws to be inviolable."
 Herbert Spencer after quoting from these statements Of Blackstone com ments thus: The chief object of all good governments, therefore should be the protection of all the natural rights of their constituent members: No per son has any natural right wantonly to hurt or injure another. The object of government is to prevent and redress injuries of this sort. Every man has freedom to do all that he wills, provided that he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man." Social Statics" Chapter 6, Section l.
 For nearl,' one hundred and fifty years the government of the United States has enjoyed preeminence among the nations of earth, because of its sacred recognition of human race Indeed its rise in the scale of national standing was the result of espousing the cause of freedom for all men. But latteriy there has arisen a church ele- ment within the nation demanding that civil government shall legislate in the interests of religious institutions. re- gardless of the fact that just such leg islation was the bane of Europe in ear Her centuries, and that this was one cause of the separation of this country from English rule.
 In his first message to Congress at the special session. on July 4, 1861 ,Iin- coin said among other things, which is as true today as then:
 This is essentially peoples con- test. It is a struggle for maintaining that form and substance of government whose leading object is to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial weights from all shoulders. to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all, to af- ford all an unfettered start, and a fair chance in the race of life
 But the petition now asking the city of Phoo0iv ta 3hlipe people to relin- quish th"il ~9tfral tights in the use of days, will, if enacted into law, surely have the effect to add artificial weights from all shoulders to clear the paths of laudable pursuits for all. to afford all an unfettered start. and a fair chance in the race of life.''
 But the petition now asking the city oF Phoenix to obige people to relin- quish their natural rights in the use of avs, will if enacted into law, surely have the effect to add artificial weights to their already heavy burdens of labor, and other handicaps of life lt~is strange law that will penalize a part of the representative citizens of city whether they obey or disobey it's injunctions. This petition demands that anyone not of the exempted class who shall work on Sunday must be fined sum of money not less than five dol lars nor more than fifty dollars for each offence, or by Imprisonment in the city jail for a period of days not ex- ceeding ten days for each offence; or by both such fine and imprisonment
 This is pretty heavy penalty for the single privilege of using ones natural tights. One may say, then let all con- form to the law, and avoid the penalty. But there are several hundred people in Phoenix, good loyal people, some of whom are taxpayers, who believe that God requires them to rest on Saturday the seventh day of the week. They seem conscientious in this, as much so as Sunday keepers in their practice of Sunday keeping
 Shall these people, after serving God in His appointed way be required to rest also on Sunday, and thus pay a weekly fine of the value of days time to them? Counting such loss of days to them at two dollars each, they would be penalized al more than one hundred dollars each year for the privilege of obeying an unjust law
 Can such a law be counted just? Not by unbiased minds surely Then why seek such one sided enactments, which will only bring discomfort and perma nent injury to any class of citizens? It cannot be that fair minded authority will attempt any such ordinance for the city of Phoenix
 J. o. CORLISS, Representing Pacific Religious Liberty Association.