The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-12-02
SUNDAY OBSERVANCE

sunday on the people OF the United |
States, the following sensible and |
timely article from the New York
Times will be of interest to our read |
ers:
Having prohibited or tried to pro
hibit one habit seven days in the
week, the "reformers" in large meas
ure, apparently the same "reformers,"
are seeking to interfere with or pre-
scribe the Sunday habits of the Amer
lean people. One would think that
the success of liquor prohibition is
not so ample or splendid as to make
it safe for the well-intentioned CEN
sors and regulators of public morals
end customs to venture upon new re-
ystrictions. The psychological effect
of war has hitherto been supposed to
be toward liberality or laxity of
morals. In our own happier country
the reverse is the case. An organized
and wefl-financed effort to set back
the clock of time and secure severe
observance of Sunday, the Sabbath, "
as its advocates prefer to call it, is
to be made. A highly industrial and
populous community is to be forced
into letters found CALLING and shaken
eff by far simpler and less develop
cd civilization.
Reform" organizations. already
sure, no doubt, of certain number of
dociie and card-index legislators at
Washington, will press upon Congress
the passage of law forbidding the
operation of interstate trains on Sum
day, the opening of any postofice or
the delivery of any mail, and the
transaction of any business by any
person or corporation engaged in in
terstate commerce on that day. The
purpose of the proposed law is declar-
ed to be to express our national de-
Termination to honor the Sabbath day
and keep it holy, as God commands"
These enthusiasts forget that under
eur constitution and laws Sunday Is
not religious, but civil, holiday.
The value of day of rest is recog-
nized Sunday, because it is observed
| by the majority, is taken as the most
convenient day of that rest. The state
statutes on the subject are modelled
i after English forms Ordinarily, by
their language labors of necessity and
general public accommodation are ex-
| cepted. The rigid Sabbatarians seek
to interrupt freight and passenger
traffic, to stop it for a day, to dislo-
cate trade, to cause damage and incon-
venience to multitude of persons
What would become of perishable
goods under their ban? The case OF
the milk dealers alone is sufficient tc
show the danger and the impossibility
of their proposal. If it could be car.
ried out, it would not only cause i'm.
mense financial loss, but would injure
the public health and diminish exer.
else and harmless pleasure.
The trouble with these purists is
that they want to make everybody
conform to their ideas of Sunday oh.
servance. They never think of the
millions of people. the majority WHIT
have to work five and a half or s1
days a week. This campaign for fed
eral restrictions is accompanied will
another for lessening or abolishins
public Sunday amusements or exer
cises, outdoors and in. The working
, | man and the hired man can spenC
their day of rest at home The mo
notony of their labor mustn't be re
lieved. Everybody's Sunday must b.
after the pattern of, say, Westerville
Ohio. Now, If any persons or relig
icus denominations want Sunday KEEP
! in particular way, it is their priv
ilege so to keep it. Churches can en-
. force discipline upon their communi
cants. By precept and example the.
, can recommend their theories AM
; practices upon their neighbors. TIL
: moment they seek the aid of the Law
! to thrust upon the great body of citi
. zens code of Sunday Observance
against which it rebels they are try
ing to exercise tyranny over othe
> mems consciences. They are uncon
! sciously creating prejudice against
= morality that seems pragmatical t.
their opponents, and even against re
lligion itself DR.. Manning Of Trinit,
: is right in laying upon the mistakel
severity of our Puritan ancestors i
+ regard to Sunday much of the late
laxity in its observance.
. Some one hundred and thirty year
; ago President Washington, travelin
in his coach and six on his lawful oc
casions, was stopped and question:
!, by a Connecticut tithing man. Hun
4 dreds of thousands of New Englan
: Toys and girls have never forgotte
! the prison dullness of those intolerabl
! Sunday hours. Many of them can re
. call them still with horror. A NOR
8 rational way of spending Sunday ha
l. r. u II. n