Are Sunday Sins Week-day Virtues?
One of Oakland's most prominent Doctors of Divinity recently preached a sermon in favor of the Sunday Law, in which he examined some of its terms, and endeavored to make the position of those who do not support the law, appear odious in the sight of his hearers. He read that part of it which prohibits the maintaining on Sunday of "any bull, bear, cock, or prize fight, horse-race, circus, gambling house, or saloon, or any barbarous or noisy amusement," and very facetiously asked if the opposers of the law saw anything wrong in this; if they were in favor of having such things conducted on Sunday. For ourselves, we answer in the negative. And now, in return, we ask the Doctor. Why single out Sunday? Are we to understand that he is in favor of maintaining bull fights, gambling houses, saloons, and barbarous amusements, provided that they are not maintained on Sunday? This is the legitimate conclusion from his sermon. Herein we differ with him. He is opposed to these things on Sunday because it is Sunday. We are opposed to them every day because they are wrong. Really, this law encourages iniquity by allowing the inference that these things are allowable except on Sunday. Such laws ought not to disgrace our statute books. Prohibit wrong on all days, because it is wrong. The Sunday-Law rule is, Prohibit wrong on Sunday because it is Sunday. Your standard needs raising.