National Reformers and Minority Rights
IN the last Statesman, Mr. Gault, of the National Reform Association, reports from Gridley, Illinois, where he lectured to a fair audience in the M. E. church. He says: “An Advent brother was much aroused, and wanted the church to answer my arguments for the change of the Sabbath, but the pastor refused. I assured the brother that we never designed to prohibit him from keeping his Sabbath, and only asked that he might not disturb us on ours.” For cool, calculating selfishness under the guise of a desire for justice, that takes the lead. The National Reform Association, through Mr. Gault, says to the observer of the seventh day: “We do not intend to force you to labor on your Sabbath, but in the interest of justice and good order, we intend to entreat you with the strong arm of the law, not to disturb us on ours.” But do they propose to reciprocate, and not disturb the seventh-day keeper on “his” Sabbath? Oh, no! Why not? Because we are National Reformers; we are the people; we are in the majority, and no man has any business to differ with us. National Reform laws are intended only to protect the strong majority from the annoyance of the weak minority; according to National Reformers, those who are few and weak cannot have any rights. It is by such logic as this that they evade the charge of infringing upon the rights of people.