Sunday Laws and Law-Abiding Citizens

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 26, 1908

Sunday Laws and Law-Abiding Citizens

A RELIGIOUS body is not permitted to hold real estate in the State of Maryland without a special act of the legislature, granting this permission, and a bill has accordingly been introduced into the present session of the Maryland Legislature conferring upon the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists the privilege of holding title to property in the State. The Senate Committee, to which this bill was referred, reported adversely, stating as the reason for their opposition to it that the Seventh-day Adventists were not loyal citizens of the State.

Senator Lee, who had the bill in charge, asked Mayor W. G. Platt, of Takoma Park, what he had to say in regard to this charge. In reply the mayor stated: “As a class, the Seventh-day Adventists of Takoma Park are a law-abiding people, uniformly taking such a course as to commend them to the esteem and confidence of the people generally. Their presence here is highly regarded by the people of the place, and their influence in the community tends to the betterment of society.”

When the bill came before the Senate, Senator Lee presented this testimony from Mayor Platt.

Senator Slay, of Kent County, then stated that he desired to give his testimony concerning the Seventh-day Adventists. He was at one time the prosecuting attorney in his county, and in the pursuance of the duties of his office had had some cases against that people for infraction of the Sunday law, and had taken occasion to look up their record carefully. He found them to be among the most law-abiding citizens of the State, and was glad when he was through with the cases against them.

In view of these statements concerning the Seventh-day Adventist people, the bill was passed in the face of the adverse report, with only four senators voting against it.

It is certainly a unique comment upon Sunday laws that a prosecuting attorney, who had charge of cases against Seventh-day Adventists for disregard of Sunday laws, should voluntarily bear testimony to the fact that on investigation, he found them to be among the most law-abiding citizens in the State. There is evidently something wrong about that kind of legislation which will enable religious bigots to put such people as these behind the bars as law-breakers.