Professor Blackie on California Sabbath Laws
PROFESSOR BLACKIE, the eminent Scotch scientist, visited Oakland a short time ago, and since his return to his native land has published, in the Free Church of Scotland Monthly, his impressions of California, and more particularly of Oakland and San Francisco. Referring to the fact of this State living without a Sunday law, the Professor says:— “Unfortunately, unlike the other States, California has no Sabbath law. Nor will it be easy to secure such a law. In Oakland, which is to San Francisco what Birkenhead is to Liverpool, a meeting was lately held on the subject of a Sabbath law. When the meeting divided, one hundred and five were against any such thing, and only ninety-six in favor.” Thus the fame of “Mr. Crafts’ Surprise Party,” as one of our local papers called it, has spread abroad even to Scotland, making known the fact that California had the independence to vote their convictions even in the face of one of the apostles of National Reform, so called. We say one of the apostles of National Reform, because, in effect, the American Sabbath Union, which, on the occasion referred to, was represented by Mr. Crafts, is in effect auxiliary to, and a branch of, the National Reform Association.