Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-15

and Pantheists. have theoretically
just as much right to live and wor-
ship or not worship in this country
as the most orthodox Christian. To
all of them and many others the
Sabbath means nothing. 1t is there
fore not constitutional to enforce
the observance of the Sabbath by
fedral law, and 1t is not in accord
ance with American traditions of
kind Of law.
Two Kinds of Sunday
DR.. Crafts therefore takes the
position that there are two Sab
baths-a religious and a civil Sab
bath. He says that the civil Sabbath
is a necessary day of complete rest,
and that as such 1t is a part of
American tradition. He says there
Is no more wrong in legislating for
a six-day week than there is in
legislating for In eight-hour day.
What he wants, he says. is simply
the prohibition of all commercial
activity n all work, except what
is absolutely necessary, on Sunday.
He also wants laws against noise on
Sunday so that Christians shall not
be disturbed in their meditations.
The analogy between the six-day
week and the eight-hour day is, Of
course. not perfect. Eight-hour day
legislation simply says that the en-
ployer shall not hire the laborer for
more than eight hours a day. 1t
does not restrict the activity of
either of them for the rest of the
day. But the proposed Sunday law
would forbid You from engaging in
any gainful occupation on Sunday,
no matter what your religion, or
how great YOUR need,
Nevertheless, it must be admitted
that DR.. Crafts has taken a crafty
position. He does not deny that he
would like to see a federal law pro-
hibiting all work and amusement on
Sunday, but he say that he consid-
ers such a law impracticable. He
also admits that he wants Sunday
Blue Laws passed in order hat the
youth of the country will go to
juvenile crime is on the increase,
and that this increase is due more
than anything else to the fact that
boys do not go to Sunday school rs
much as they used to. He says that
d boy who goes to Sunday baseball
games is far more apt to become a
criminal than who goes to Sun
day school.
Thus he admits that he wants a
Sunday Blue Law for the effect it
will have on church attendance. He
therefore hopes that it will be a re-
ligious law in effect although he
puts it forward as a civil health law.
DIR. Crafts is a moral reformer Of
the more broad-minded and intelli-
gent type. He realizes that he has
sincere and intelligent opponents
and that they have some right on
their side. But there seems to be
Just a touch of e~quivocation in the
way he meets their objections.
DR.. Crafts is opposed to smoking,
but does not favor legislation on the
subject except as applied to minors.
He believes dancing should be con-
trolled by a rigorous enforcement
OF laws against obscene practices.
He is opposed to literature which
might De considered suggestive, and
here again he believes in the rigor-
u enforcement of laws already in
existence. He is in favor of severe
ly censoring the movies and the
stage. He is, of course, a strong
supporter of prohibition.
Here are the chief things that
We're banned by the blue laws of
our colonial ancestors. DIR. Crafts
is against them, too. He believes
hat If they could be abolished the
world and the human race would be
they can't be abolished by law. And
his recognition of that a C shows
that the friends of personal liberty,
though in minority, are not wholly
overwhelmed.