p. 19 | The Outlook by C. S. Longacre

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 30, 1916

The Outlook

By C. S. Longacre

Some events of much importance in their relation to religious liberty have taken place since we last wrote in this column. The Oklahoma Supreme Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the decision of the court of Watonga, Blaine County, which had stated that Seventh-day Adventists must also observe Sunday after observing the Sabbath. The supreme court decided that our people have the right to do any kind of secular work or to conduct mercantile business, provided that in so doing they do not disturb or interrupt other persons who observe the first day of the week as holy time.

This decision has established a new precedent in legal status. In the past, a number of State supreme courts have rendered contrary decisions on this point. The Oklahoma Supreme Court reviewed these decisions, and refuted the arguments made against our divine and civil rights to keep the seventh-day Sabbath and to work six days each week.

The Oklahoma court said: “It is facetiously argued by some courts, that to say to these people they shall keep our Sunday, does not prevent them from also keeping the day they regard as a ‘holy day.’ But these courts overlook the fact that under the divine commandment these people are striving to obey, it is just as imperative that they work six days as it is that they rest on the seventh. And if their conscience compels them to rest one day, and the law forces them to also rest another, they would thus be forced to violate the first provision of the commandment they are trying conscientiously to keep. For these reasons and others that might be added, we think the judgment should be reversed.

“The judgment is therefore reversed, and the cause remanded with directions to dismiss the case.” To this all three judges of the court agreed.

What a sane, just, and reasonable decision this is! The whole of this decision, together with the argument before the court, will be printed in the next issue of the Liberty magazine. This special number ought to be placed in the hands of every judge and lawyer.

This certainly is a wonderful victory for the truth. The credit is due to God, who has heard the prayers of his people. We have often argued this point of our rights under the Constitution and our obligations under the divine commandment, but could not get the courts to recognize them. We have wondered why the judges could not see that it was unjust to require us to observe two days each week simply because we observed another day than Sunday as holy time.

We received a telegram from H. W. Cottrell, president of the Western Oregon Conference, stating that the Sunday blue law of Oregon was repealed their Sunday laws by a popular vote. California, having previously repealed her Sunday law, voted again two years ago on the question of reenacting one, and turned down the Sunday-law proposition with a majority of 168,211 votes. The popular sentiment of the West is in favor of religious liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution.

In our recent fight against the liquor traffic we have been enabled to gain some decided victories over the rum tyrant. Six more States have gone dry, making twenty-three on the dry list now. Our next great battle will be for national prohibition.

Congress will soon convene, and we shall have to put forth earnest efforts to prevent the pending Sunday bills from being enacted into law during the last session of the Sixty-fourth Congress. We want our brethren in the field to stand ready for action if a crisis should arise. Let us be vigilant guardians of liberty and of the rights of conscience, for this is the price of our heritage of freedom. Proper education is the surest remedy to cure the threatening ills of religious bigotry and resultant oppression. May every lover of God and truth and justice do his heaven-appointed duty during this day of opportunity and special privilege to disseminate light and knowledge. C. S. LONGACRE.