SUNDAY LAW by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 25, 1881

SUNDAY LAW.

By Editor

THE "Sunday Law" has been enforced in several towns in California, by closing up some liquor saloons; and a movement is on foot to enforce it in San Francisco. We have before been asked our opinion of it.

We reply, We are glad of it. We have argued both publicly and privately, for more than thirty years, that it is the duty of the Government to abate the evil of the liquor traffic. We are glad if this manifest duty shall be done, if even partially. Of course our pleasure would be greatly augmented if they would shut up the saloons seven days in each week, instead of one day in the week merely. Society needs this protection constantly, and has a right to demand it at the hands of our law makers and peace preservers.

The question has been raised as to the effect this movement will have on certain other businesses carried on on the Sunday. We are not anxious about that; our greatest fear at present is that it will not be pushed to the point of shutting up the saloons. We are in favor of abating actual nuisances, especially where they ruin families, break up the peace of society, and destroy life. We wish the movers abundant success.

We would be highly pleased if our order-loving friends would make it a penal offense to smoke tobacco in the faces of those shut up in cars or other public places, where they cannot flee from the sickening stench of this concentration of nastiness. But we have no hope of this. We could mention enough good work to keep reformers busy, but it is of no use.

But the point in the question asked us is probably this: What will we do if the Sunday law is enforced. We shall continue to "Fear God, and keep his commandments," to the best of our ability. The Supreme One, before whom all must stand in the Judgment, who said: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah thy God; in it thou shalt do any work," gave us six days in which He requires us to do all our work. We do not expect or intend to sacrifice our Heaven-given privileges to please men, or deny the authority of the divine law to humor the caprices of our fellow-creatures who happen to be "clothed with a little brief authority."

We are for peace; we are a law-abiding people. Our members are not known in police courts—our churches never "whitewash" the reputations of those who prove recreant to Christian principle. We hope to ever be found faithful to God, kind to our fellow-men, standing to the motto, "Be just and fear not."