Sunday in the Post-Offices

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Sep 5, 1912

Sunday in the Post-Offices

UNTIL further legislation upon the subject becomes effective, first- and second-class post-offices throughout the United States will not be open for the purpose of delivering mail to the general public on Sunday. This new order of things has been brought about by the proviso attached to the post-office appropriation bill passed by Congress just before adjournment. Reference has been made to this proviso in these columns, and a report has been submitted of the protest made against it. So far as we have learned, no effort was made on the floor of the Senate to prevent its passage, although a letter was written to each senator, calling his attention to this proviso, and urging that it be eliminated from the bill.

This legislation is similar in character to the condition upon which appropriations were made to two or more great expositions; namely, that the gates of the expositions should be closed on Sunday. It is a legislative recognition of Sunday, although it does not require the observance of the day on the part of any one. Every such act familiarizes legislators with the idea of making laws relating to Sunday, and thus prepares the way for the passage of a law which makes it a crime to do ordinary work on that day.