p. 282 | Untitled article

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · September 15, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 36

THE PEOPLE WILL TAKE REST.

The fact is that while real regard for sacred things is on the decrease, and while this naturally leads to holidayism instead of Sabbath keeping, the tendency of the times is toward fewer hours of labor and larger opportunities for rest and recreation than formerly, and Sunday laws are not needed to enable the mass of the people to secure the physical benefits to be derived from this state of affairs. And to force upon people the benefits of religion is both improper and impracticable. The people will take all the physical rest that they need and desire, but it is impossible to force upon them the spiritual rest which alone constitutes Sabbath observance.

California has no Sunday law, and for this reason is an excellent illustration of the ability and willingness of the people to regulate for themselves the matter of Sunday rest. The facts as stated by the friends of Sunday themselves show that Sunday observance has actually improved in that State since the repeal of the Sunday law.

In 1885 Rev. W. F. Crafts published his book, “The Sabbath for Man,” in which he relates that in order to obtain a world-wide view of Sabbath observance he corresponded with more than two hundred persons residing in nearly every nation of the world. One of the questions which he asked was:—

Where have you seen the best Sabbath observance?

To this, a San Francisco pastor responded:—

Among the Christian people of California.

Mr. Crafts’ question and the San Francisco pastor’s answer to it are found on page 95 of his book before referred to. On the preceding page occur these words:—

Both laymen and ministers say that even in California the Sabbath is, on the whole, better observed and Christian services better attended than five years ago.

“Five years ago,” from the standpoint of 1885, was three years before the repeal of the California Sunday law. Therefore, taking into consideration all that Mr. Crafts said upon this subject, we conclude that according to testimony published in his own book, California had in 1885, when the State had been without a Sunday law for two years, better and more general Sunday observance than it had under a Sunday law.

And that Mr. Crafts meant to convey the idea that there had been a general improvement in California, in the matter of Sunday keeping, is further evident from the fact that the quotations which we have made from his book, are prefaced with the following, set in italics:—

Another element of hope in the United States is that the West has improved in Sabbath observance (except in the largest cities), as the communities have changed from frontier Territories into settled States.

Then, after only four and one-half lines relative to Dakota and Wyoming, follows the statement quoted, that “both laymen and ministers say that even in California the Sabbath is, on the whole, better observed, and Christian services better attended, than five years ago.” This Mr. Crafts gives in his book as an encouraging fact. A residence of seven years in California, six years of which were spent in one of the largest cities of the State, justifies the writer in saying that the facts are about as “both laymen and ministers” have stated them. And with this agrees also “Holloway,” a correspondent of the New York Observer, who, in a letter in that paper, dated October 2, 1890, said of Sunday in San Francisco:—

True, there are some drawbacks here as there are in all the cities of our land. Attractive as the city is, and in its main features very desirable as a place of residence, yet the good people who have come from the East regret the absence of some things with which they have always been familiar. There are no Sabbath laws in California and no recognition of it on the statute books of the State. Labor of all kinds can be carried on without hindrance, stores may remain open for the transaction of business as on any other day of the week, places of amusement may be open without interference from the authorities, while noisy demonstrations can go on as usual. But while there is the absence of all Sunday laws we must not draw the conclusion that there is no respect paid to the Lord’s day. Truth compels us to state the fact that San Francisco is a Sabbath keeping city. The drift is plainly in that direction. The moral sentiment of the people is largely in its favor, and with very rare exceptions you will find as much order and quiet in the streets as in some of

our most favored Eastern cities. Those who knew California twenty years ago, now witness a far different order of things. The mass of the people respect and keep the Lord’s day. No merchant of any respectability keeps his store open on the Sabbath. The wharves are deserted. The Italian fruit dealers in many localities close up their places of business, and even in the Chinese quarter of the city there is some recognition of the fact that this one day calls for a regard to decency and order, if not for religious reverence.