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Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York City · June 11, 1896

FromAmerican Sentinel, Vol. 11, No. 24

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ONE DAY'S RELIGIOUS PETITIONS.

The following is from the first, second and fourth pages of the Congressional Record, of February 4, 1896, and will be of interest to our readers as showing the trend of the times:—
Mr. Sherman presented a memorial of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Xenia, O., remonstrating against the passage of Senate Bill No. 1055, providing for military education in the public schools; which was referred to the Committee on Military Affairs.
He also presented sundry petitions of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Cincinnati, Dayton, and Troy, in the State of Ohio, and a petition of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Deposit, N. Y., praying for the passage of a Sunday-rest law for the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.
He also presented a petition of the Christian Endeavor Society of Dayton, O., praying for the repeal of the ninety-day divorce law of Oklahoma and Arizona Territories, and for substituting in its stead the stricter divorce law of the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
He also presented a petition of the Christian Endeavor Society of Dayton, Ohio, praying for the enactment of legislation establishing an impartial commission for the investigation of the labor problem; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
He also presented a petition of the Christian Endeavor Society of Dayton, Ohio, praying for the enforcement of the compulsory education law in the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
He also presented a petition of the Christian Endeavor Society of Dayton, Ohio, praying for the passage of the so-called Erdman Bill, substituting voluntary arbitration for railway strikes; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
He also presented a petition of the Ministerial Association of the eastern portion of the Heidelberg Classes of the Reformed Church of Bucyrus, Ohio, praying for the enactment of legislation in the interests of morality, education, labor, etc.; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
He also presented a petition of the Ministerial Association of Galion, Ohio, praying for the enactment of legislation in the interest of morality, for a Sunday-rest law, for the repeal of the Oklahoma divorce law, for compulsory education, for the arbitration of labor strikes, and for investigation of the labor problem;which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.
Mr. Cockerell—I present a petition in behalf of the Missouri Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of Kansas City, Mo., praying relief for those who are suffering in Armenia. I move that the petition lie on the table.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. Mills presented a petition of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Granbury, Texas, praying for the enactment of a Sunday-rest law for the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.
Mr. Vest presented resolutions adopted by the Society of Christian Endeavor of Lexington, Mo., favoring the enactment of legislation by Congress to prevent Armenian outrages; which were ordered to lie on the table.
Mr. Cullom presented a petition of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Oneida, Ill., praying for the enactment of a Sunday-rest law for the District of Columbia; which was referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia.
The total number of petitions presented on this occasion in the Senate alone (those we quote were all in the Senate) was seventy-seven. Fifteen, or nearly one in five, either asked for religious legislation or else emanated from some religious body seeking as such to influence legislation.
The fact that one is a Christian does not necessarily debar him from participation in the affairs of government, nor take away his right of petition; but neither does it give him any greater rights than belong to other men.
A man's religion should control his political action only so far as to make that action honest and straightforward and in due and practical recognition of the equal rights of others. Neither nature nor grace affords the slightest warrant to any man or set of men to use religion as a political force or to use political force for the furtherance of religion.