p. 504 | A Frank Statement by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 9, 1882

A Frank Statement.

By Editor

COL. GEORGE BABCOCK made a strong speech at a prohibition meeting in Oakland last week. He justly censured those who profess to be temperance people and yet vote some other ticket in preference to the prohibition ticket. Such persons show that they are bound to a party, and not to principle. But that which interested us most was the statement that "there is no moral difference between selling liquor on Sunday and any other day of the week. That which is in itself wrong, is always wrong." To this we give a hearty assent. And since this is the fact, we cannot see the propriety of a temperance party meddling with Sunday legislation. What benefit can a Sunday law bring to the cause of temperance that is not secured by prohibition? If the sale of liquor is prohibited every day in the week, it would be the height of folly to pass a law prohibiting it on Sunday also. And thus it appears, in whatever light it is viewed, that the Sunday Law is in no sense a temperance law, but is purely and simply in the interest of religion. And so we refuse to support it for two reasons. First, the religion which is thus to be enforced is a counterfeit religion; and second, it is not within the province of any man to legislate on matters of religion, of which God alone is the judge.