Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-10
HUMAN NATURE
MADE PERFECT
BY STATE LAWS
Debate on Regulation of Pub
lie Morals Again Thrown
Into Arena.
TWO SCHOOLS OF BELIEF

WASHINGTON, D. C.--Res0lved: That /
human nature can be improved and even !
made perfect by removing from 1t every !
imaginable temptation, such as drink, !
gambling, smoking, dancing, short skirts,
Sunday baseball and moving pictures OF
thrilling love scenes.
This subject for debate has been hurled !
into the arena by the announcement that
various religious and reform organiza-
tions intend to have the observance OF
the Sabbath made compulsory in the |
United States. Some propose to do TINS
by Federal law, and some by city and
State law. At the same time there is
more or less talk Of legislation against
cigarettes and gambling. In word, II
is evident that the forces Of moral re-
form plan to follow up the prohibition
amendment with a campaign for va
riety Of other legislation designed 20 I'M
prove our morals by force rather than
suasion.
At the same time, a howl Of protest
has gone up against the proposed SAP
bath law and al the other moral legls-
lation. Ii is made very plain that theIe
is a powerful and aggressive negative TO
the above DroDositlon, as well as a power
fuI and organized affirmative. The re-
formers, OF course, say that the negative
Is backed by promoters Of amusements,
dealers in tobacco, and other interested
parties inst as the opponents OF reform
saw that the reformers are all in the pay
of n few narrow minded millionaires VINO
are ambitious 10 make us feel thelr
power by regulating our personal con-
duct. -
AS a matter of fact there are sincere
nersons enough on both sides. You have
only TO talk to few of the reformers 10
realize that most Of them are burning
with sincerity, that they firmly belleVe
the world can be improved, II we c"n
only get laws enough and policemen
enough to enforce them
GENUINE AND HEATED
DIFFERENCE IN IDEAS.
Nor do YOU have to go far to ma
man who has not a cent Invested IN any
amusement proposition whatever anu
never expects to have, but VINO almost
foams at the mouth as he tells you that
On mis- alleged land Of the free there
viii soon be somewhat less personal I'D
ertv than there was in Russia or the
Gar. unless these reformers can IN some
w8v he prevented from executing thelt
benighted designs
Yes. there Is a genuine and even heat
cd difference of opinion. Ana II IS one
which has existed IN this country lot
long time. The reformcrs undoubtedly
take their intellectual II not their physl-
cal descent from the colonial Purltahs OF
Nevv England, the inventors OF the blue
law who nut men in stocks for drink
ing. smoking, kissing and the ike. IN
fact. what the reformers really aim at Is
nothing less than revival OF the oiue
laws on n national scale.
The opposing school Of thought Is de-
sceoded from colonial Virginia and espe-
cially from such men as Patrick Henry
and George Washington. According 70
the theory Of this school. personal no
erty is a necessary condition OF h"ppI-
ness and Of Development Persohaht5
cannot be developed without IT, and per
sonaIitv is the essence OF civilization.
Morality Is dependent upon character
and must therefore be inculcated by con
cation and example, not ny IorCe' II
holds. therefore, that morals are not
proper enhere for legislation and thht
moral restraint should be applied only I"
those who are irresponshe-Ihe very
voung. the criminal and the weak-mind-
cd This school Of thought has faith In
human nature and believes that the pro
du,tIon OF superior individuals is the
main nurposc OF civilization. The moral
ists have faith in the tate. in law and In
force and aim at the production OF an
orderly whole. even though individuality
suffer In the process.
DIR. CRAFTS REGARDED
AS TYPICAL REFORMER.
A tvnical representative Of the ideal or
unllft -by-force is Or. Wilbur +. CRAFTS,
snDerintendent OF the international Re
form Bureau. with whom we had talk
recentlv about the state Of the pubic
morals DR.. Crafts and mis- organization
have been blamed for the project to pass
a Federal Sunday blue law. He denies
that this is the case. He says that the
proposition for n Federal law came from
n couple OF State conferences OF the Meth
odlst Church IN the South, that no Such
law has been introduced in Congress and
that the movement for such law Is not
to be taken seriously. He Is trying mere
" to have n Sunday blue law passed for
the District Of Columbia. He says that
California and the District are the only
parts of the United States where ade
quate Sunday laws do not already exist.
what he favors chiefly is campaign for
the enforcement Of laws already on the
books.
DR.. Crafts has long been engaged in
trying to induce Congress to pass laws
affecting the public morals. He knows
to n nicely what is constitutional and
what is not, and how to claim the sup
port Of American tradition for his prof.
Gets. He does not take any positions
from which you can easily rout him.
Thus, he is we'll aware that to make the
observance OF the Sabbath ms a religious
day compulsory Is legislation respecting
religion, and that is forbidden by the
Constitution and by tradition too. This
Is theoretically land Of religious free
dom Jews, MOhammedans Buddhists
followers OF PythaRoras, Nietszche and
Confucius, free thinkers, atheists and
Pantheists. have theoretically Just a 3
much right to live and worship or not
worship in this country as the most
orthodox Christian. To all Of them and
many others the Sabbath means nothing.
It is therefore not constitutional to en-
force the observance Of the Sabbath by
Federal law, and it is not in accordance
with American traditions OF liberty to
enforce it by any other kind of law.
TWO sABBATHS NECESSARY.
SAYS REFORMER.
Dr. Crafts therefore takes the position
that there are two Sabbaths--a relig-
iOus and a civil Sabbath. He says that
the civil Sabbath is 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
six-day week than there is in legislat
ing for an eight-hOur day. What he
wants, he says is simply the prohibition
Of all commercial activity and all work,
except what Is absolutely necessary, on
Sunday. He also wants laws against
noise on Sunday, so that Christians shall
not be disturbed ill their meditations.
The analogy between the six day week
and the eight hour day Is, of course not
perfect Eight-hour day legislation sim