The Cynosure Acknowledges Religious Persecution
THE Christian Cynosure says:— “The Arkansas Legislature has passed a bill repealing the law punishing for engaging in secular pursuits on Sunday those who religiously observe one day each week as Sabbath. Under the existing law there have been numerous prosecutions of Second Adventists for working on Sunday.” At last the Cynosure has awakened to the fact that there have actually been persecutions in the United States, for conscience’ sake. Several months ago a statement of the persecutions under the Sunday law in Arkansas and Tennessee, was made in a sermon in Chicago, and the editor of the Cynosure called loudly for proof. He didn’t believe that anybody had been persecuted, but said that if such things had been done, the matter ought to be investigated. The matter was investigated. The one who preached the sermon went South a few weeks later, and wrote to the Cynosure a statement of the facts in the case. Some of them are given in the speech published on another page of the SENTINEL. The Cynosure published the statement, but said no more about putting a stop to such proceedings. Having been assured that persecutions had actually taken place, the editor seemed to be satisfied. He did say, however, that the report “lacked confirmation.” Still it seems, from his tardy acknowledgment, that he really believed it all the time. He could hardly have helped doing so; but not a word in condemnation of the persecutions has appeared in the Cynosure. Is it necessary to add that the editor of the Cynosure is one of the Vice-Presidents of the National Reform Association?