Sunday Idleness and Moral Degeneration
Mr. Depew is quoted as saying that, “nothing in nature or art goes to pieces so fast as a man in idleness,” and making the application to the proposition of the State of New York to keep its criminals in idleness, “with the certain result of greater moral degeneration.” Upon this, the Moral and Scientific Companion, published at Florence, A. T., very aptly comments as follows: “And yet the Sunday-law advocates propose to keep the entire population of the United States in idleness during the first day of every week. If this will not result in ‘greater moral degeneration’ and mischief making, then human nature must be wonderfully changed. When a man’s conscience tells him to sanctify the Sabbath, that conscience will lead him to reverence the time that belongs to his God; but when a man of worldly ideas is forced into idleness it is time to expect mischief.”