Another Sunday Bill Defeated

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 8, 1913

Another Sunday Bill Defeated

THE Northern Union Reaper of March 4 states that Representative Townsend introduced into the present session of the Iowa State Legislature “a bill to amend the Sunday law which has been upon the statute-books almost unnoticed for half a century.”

This law prohibits work on the first day of the week, “and makes punishable by fine or imprisonment all work except that of necessity or of a charitable nature, also molesting or disturbing in any way a congregation or family which might be worshiping on that day, and in addition to these places the ban on Sunday dancing, horse-racing, and several other forms of amusement.”

Some of our brethren secured a public hearing, which afforded an excellent opportunity for the discussion of the principles involved in Sunday legislation, and accomplished some good, as is seen by the following:—

“Since the hearing we have met several members of the committee, and learned that two of the three members of the subcommittee to which the bill was referred have voted to indefinitely postpone the consideration of the measure before the house, thus practically killing it in the committee. Since hearing the report of the committee, quite a prominent senator has written to Elder W. D. Parkhurst commending his defense of the principles of liberty, and stating that if a similar bill should come up in the senate he would use his influence against it; also that in such an event, he would appreciate the aid and cooperation of Elder Parkhurst.”