Sunday-Law Hearing in New Jersey by W. A. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 17, 1910

Sunday-Law Hearing in New Jersey

By W. A. C.

MONDAY, February 7, there was a public hearing at Trenton, N. J., on a bill in the New Jersey legislature (Assembly bill No. 19), legalizing various kinds of business, exercise, and sports on Sunday. The bill provides that,—

“From and after the passage of this act it shall not be unlawful for any person or corporation, on the Christian sabbath, or first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, to print, publish, and sell newspapers, to sell and deliver milk, to walk, ride, or drive for recreation, to hire horses and carriages, automobiles, or other conveyances for riding or driving, or to play baseball, cricket, golf, tennis, rowing, running, or other clean and harmless athletic sports.”

As might be expected, this was opposed by the Sunday-law advocates. Rev. T. W. Johnson, president of the New Jersey Lord's Day Alliance, characterized the bill as a measure which “seeks to secularize our Christian sabbath.” Should it pass, he declared it

would be “a direct stroke at Christianity,” and he warned the legislators to be “extremely careful about thus undermining our Christian foundation.” “True,” he said, “we have no union of church and state, but we have next to it.”

Rev. E. J. Kulp, representing the New Jersey Conference of Methodists and the Camden Methodist Preachers' Association, also opposed the bill.

Elder B. F. Kneeland, president of the New Jersey Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, being present, was given an opportunity near the close of the hearing to speak. He said:—

“I wish to speak particularly of the principles which are involved in Sunday laws. The arguments which have been presented before this committee by those who favor strict Sunday laws show conclusively that the real reason why these people are so anxious to force the observance of Sunday is because they regard it as a sacred religious institution. Now I wish to submit to you, gentlemen, that the legislature of this State has no right to force people to keep Sunday, or any other day as the Sabbath, any more than it has a right to force citizens to be baptized, take communion, or contribute to the church. I believe in and practise all the ordinances which the Bible prescribes for the Christian church, but I protest most emphatically against any attempt to force them upon people by civil law. In taking this position I stand on the same ground as the honored fathers of our great republic.

“No reason but a religious one can be brought for making honest labor or innocent recreation a crime on Sunday. If a man wishes to observe religious customs, he can do so without being compelled by law. If he does it because he is compelled by law, he becomes a hypocrite, which makes him a poor citizen.”—Newark Star, Feb. 8, 1910.

Rev. William T. McLaughlin, a Catholic priest from Union Hill, made a vigorous speech in favor of Sunday baseball, declaring that nineteen years' experience in priestly life had convinced him “that Sunday baseball would be a good thing to promote morality of young and old alike.” W. A. C.