Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-11-24
The Sunday Observance Law
Mr.. Editor:

Rev. r. A Hamilton of Orleans, in an
issue of this paper said: "Have we
come to a point in Vermont, where
the principle of local option in handl-
ing the Sunday problem should be
put into practice 2"
We are told that everything is gov
erned by law. We are then led to in
quire, what is law? Authorities tell
us that law is "a rule of action es-
tablished by recognized authority, to
enforce justice and direct duty, as a
legislative enactment specifically a
rule of civil conduct prescribed by a
Supreme Power in a state as the laws
of God and man."
Soon after God made this world, he
published his law and through his ser
want Moses, gave it to his people in
the shape of commandments which
have never been equalled since, and
are at present, the law in substance
of nearly every state lin the union.
Exodus 20. These commandments
start as follows:
keep it holy. Six days shalt thou la
Dor and do all thy work; but the sew
enth day is a Sabbath unto the Lord
thy God; in it shou shalt not do any
work, thou nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, thy man servant, nor thy
maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor any
stranger that is within thy gates,
fore, for it is holy unto you, and ev-
eryone that defleth it shall surely be
eye shall keep the Sabbath, there
put to death; for whosoever doeth any
work on the Sabbath day, he shall
surely be put to death" Anything in
that that sounds like local option?
In 1887. six years before Vermont
was admitted into the union, the RE
public of Vermont" passed a law,
''That the first day of the week shall
be kept and observed by the people
of the state, as a Sabbath, holy day.
or day of rest from secular labors and
employment nor shall any person or
persons. between II o'clock of the
night proceeding and the setting Of
the sun on the same day, exercise an.
secular labor, business or employ
ment except such as necessary, and
acts of charity require, nor shall they
use or exercise any games, sports,
or plays, or hold or resort to anv
public assembly, except such as shall
be holden for the purpose of social
and religious worship and moral in
struction; nor shall any person or per-
sons visit from house to house unless
for the purposes of religious or moral
conversation instruction or edification,
or from motives of humanity or char
! ity." If this law was violated, it pro-
vided for fine of $500 to go to the
| town where the offence was commit
| ted
In 1901, Laws, page 16, the above
was amended, by inserting after the
word plays the words ''ban or dance
or resort to any tavern, inn or house
of entertainment, for amusement or
recreation"
In Revised Laws, 1910, the follow
ing was added, "No person shall ira
vel on the Sabbath day, or first day of
the week, except from necessity or
charity" Also ''hunting or shooting
! wild game, or discharging fire arms
on the Sabbath day is prohibited. Fine
not less than $40.
| Vermont Statutes 1894, the law was
amended, leaving out the provision
regarding the resorting to any tavern,
inn, etc., also leaving out the pro-
vision as to travelling on the Sabbath
day, etc., but providing that the rail-
road commissioners of the state might
authorize the running of through
trains on the railroads on Sunday.
| The present Statute of Vermont,
Sec. 7097, reads as follows: "a per-
son who, between II o'clock Saturday
night and IL o'clock the following
Sunday night, exercises any business
or employment, except works of ne
cessity and charity, or holds or re-
sorts to a ball or dance or uses or
exercises a game, sport or play, or
resorts to a house of entertainment
for amusement or recreation, shall be
fined not more than S."
Sec 7O99, "a. person who hunts,
shoots, pursues, takes or kills wild
I irIc Ic or
discharges firearms, except in the just
defence of persons or property, or in
the performance of military or police
duty, on Sunday, shall be imprisoned
not more than two months, or fined
not more than $100, nor less than
So" No local option in this law.
The Christian people of any COM
munity can put stop to violations
of the Sunday law if they SO desire
1t seems to be their "option" how
ever that they do nothing about it
To that extent "local option" is be-
ing put into nractice.
F. w. Baldwin.