The National Sunday Law Unconstitutional
To evade the charge of prosecuting an unconstitutional measure, Mr. W. F. Crafts said at Los Angeles, September 1, that the phrase “an establishment of religion” in the Constitution means “the selecting of a single religion or a single sect, and supporting it by the State,” and that they do not propose any such thing. Well, let us see. They propose in their Sunday law to except “works of religion.” What religion it is whose works shall be excepted, will have to be legislatively or judicially defined. The definition is intended to be, “The works of the Christian religion.” Then just as soon as that shall be done, that will be “the selecting of a single religion” by the State, and the supporting and protecting of that religion by the national power. Therefore by their own definition it is proved that the National Sunday law which they propose is a violation of the first amendment of the United States Constitution.