Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1920-12-22
Peoples Column
1CLOROUs DAwNING
OF BETTER MORN.

gCLOmOUS DAWNING
OF BETTER MORN.
To the Editor Of The Evening Journal:
Sir: If the Almighty has set apart
the FIRST day Of the week as time
which man is bound TO keep holy and
devote exclusively 10 his worship,
would 70 not be more congenial TO the
precepis Of Christians TO appeal eX-
clusively TO the great Lawgiver Of
the universe 10 aid them in making
men beiter-in correcting their prao-
tees by purifying their hearts2 When
they shall have so instructed the pub
lie mind, and awakened the con-
sciences OF individuals as to make
them believe That 10 Is a violation OF
Gods law 10 sell cigars, candy and
Ice cream on Sunday, the evil Of
which the blue law advocates COM
plain will cease OF itself, without any
eXertion OF the strong arm Of the
civil power. When man undertakes
to become Gods avenger, he becomes
| a demon. Driven by the frenzy Of a
religious zeal. he loses every gentle
| feeling, fOrgets the most sacred pre-
cepts VI his creed and becomes ferO-
cious and unrelentlng.
The closing decades OF the eight
| eonih century were big with mOmcn-
t0us events AS the great crucible Of
time turned TO ashes the embcr hours
Of That hundred years cycle, a flame
OF fire sprang from the seemingly life
| less mass of historical ore. The hand
| Of the Most High had graspcd the
| lever regulating human events. FIX
| peciancy sat upon the brow OF the
universe Tremendous changes were
| about 10 take place. Events IL a new
/ nature were now TO transpire. The
| hearts OF men were TO be shocked,
| surprised and stirred.
| A republic had come TO earth. on
J the western shores of the broad At
lantic, after Travelling In pain TO be
| delivered, "Our fathers brought forth
a new nation, conceived in liberty and
dedicated TO the proposition that all
men are created equal Peerless In
this beautiful robe OF precious prinol-
pies, the new nation arose from her
J bed OF revolutionary birth. With
amazement. the kingdoms Of the Old
World watched the infant land. Rocked
by the waves Of the twin seas in the
| cradle of the. red mans country, this
child of liberty increased I'm wisdom
and stature, for God was with her.
All this is apparently passing
strange. The basal principles upon
which the new nation was founded
we've, In themselves. the ONerlurnlne
of every principle for which the Ole
World had ever stood
The new nation arising In the Wes
proclaimed two distinct principles
First that government Is of the
people: and, second, That government
is of right entirely separate from re-
lieion.
Religion is not, and never can right
fully bee made, In amy sense reQuls
tie to the governmental authority o
the United states, because the SUI
prome law declares.
CONGRESS shall make no laws re-
speeding am establishment of religion
or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof"
BY This clause, Congress is forbid
den 90 make any law looking toward
amy establishment of religion. or APP
proving or dislpproVns any religion
already established in any stale. B'
it. likewise, Congress is forbidden Il
make any law prohibiting the IRE
exercise OF religion by any individual
In AN the land. That Is TO say, tina
Congress is forbidden TO make an,
, law bearing I'm amy way whatever OF
the subject of religion, for 10 is Inn
possible lO make law on the sublec
D of religion without interfering Wit
, the free exercise of religion.
Consistently with AN This, and a
the crown OF all, religion is not B
e any sense requisite of the cilzci
ship of the l'nltcd STATES, for the st
prcmc law declares.
"Thc government OF the Unite
a States is not I'm any sense founded o
the Christian religion
Thus. logically by the Declaralio
[ and explicitly by the Constitution