The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1919-12-26
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE.

1 going to be perfunctory and such lay
will hold no real terrors to those VIII
do not care to observe 1t. The enfor(
ing machinery is made up of abou
| the average citizens who care NOR
for their future political and bushes
interests than they do for the sanct
| ty of their oaths. Under circumsstan(
es of this kind it were idle to expec
unpopular laws to be fairly and i'm
partially enforced.
1t is altogether probable that tn
Sunday law in Columbia is in thi
class. The Herald has long doubte'
| the popularity of this law. Since TIL
recent municipal election it has reach
ed the conclusion that large humble
of the people of the city are openl.
and aggressively hostile to the law
that minority, quite respectabl,
minority, are sincerely in favor o.
the law, but that much larger ele
ment, while not openly in favor of re
peal, are Indifferent to the law ant
the majority in this last mentioned
class give encouragement to its viola
ton by aiding and abetting therein
The board of mayor and aldermen
elect is therefore justified in it's con
clusion that the Sunday law is not
sustained by popular opinion. The
supporters Of this law knew for
weeks before the election that if il
were retained they would have to
elect board in sympathy with it
They were Indifferent and cannot now
complain.
Regardless, however of the senti
ment of the public, The Herald pro.
tests against the repeal of the Sunday
closing law. This journal is anmoved
by popular clamor where a question
OF principle is involved 1t does not
expect its protest to have any particu
lar weight for the reasons above emu
merated, but it would be false to its
high sense of duty, unworthy of the
confidence of the public, if it did not
warn against the consequences OF
this effort to substitute the Sunday OF
continental Europe for the Sunday OF
our fathers. Nowhere has the open
Sunday" ever promoted good morals
increased respect for authority, or
promoted reverence for the Christian
religion.
In this time of turmoil and Of strife
when the fundamentals of our civiiza
ton seem to tremble in the balance
it is more than ever necessary that
we should cling with unfaltering de
yotion to the faith handed down to
us: that we should stand unmoved fol-
the ancient charts and find our safe
ty and our refuge in the religion OF
Jesus Christ The only hope today
for solely distraut, war weary, debt
incumbercd. disordered, chaotic world
is in following. the precepts and ex
ample OF the lowly Nazarene. When
we cease TO have any reverence for
the institutions ordained of God then
indeed our religious faith has become
weak aud thing without effect The
Sunday IS and has been from the
dawn of creation dedicated to AL
mighty God. It's open and fragrant dis.
regard is a challenge to cur faith in
the religion handed down to us. When
we worship Mammou to the utter ex-
clusion of everything else. then indeed
is the very foundation of our relig-
ious and moral structure undermined.
II the religion of those mighty men
who walked By faith is not worthy of
some sacrifice, some personal incon-
yenience, it were indeed a mockery, a
thing hollow and without substance.
To discontinue our every day occu-
patons for one day and dedicate that
day to the service of the God of our
fathers does not often cause us incon-
yenieDce and personal loss, but IN the
judgement of this journal tic relig-
ion that moved the founders OF this
republic, that was their pillar of cloud
by day and pillar OF fire by
night. is worth all and more
than it cost Danger turks
when men lose all sense of reverence
for the things of the past: when they
care no longer for the sacred rites
that have made martyrs of men and
women through the centuries.
Those who love this republic with
every fibre of their being, who would
as their greatest service to mankind
transmit its blessings and its priv
ileges untarnished and unimpaired to
general ons not yet in being as a ben
ediction to the world. must look with
fear and trembling upon the effort to
sail uncharted seas.
20 God, our help in ages past
Our hope for years to come"
be with America and incline our
hearts once more to those sacred
ssb,-