p. 19 | The Petition Work by W. A. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 23, 1909

The Petition Work

By W. A. C.

We judge from the returns being sent to our office that a good number of petitions against the religious measures now pending in Congress have already been sent in. We are very glad that this is so. In an article dealing with District matters, the following paragraph appeared in the Washington Post of December 11:—

“Declaring that the provisions of Senate bill 404, for the proper observance of Sunday as a day of rest in the District, are religious in character and design and unconstitutional, petitions presented by Senator Bristow, from citizens of Emporia and Lebanon, Kan., yesterday were placed on file in the Senate. The petitioners also take exception to the House joint resolution proposing to amend the Constitution by beginning with the words, ‘In the name of God.’”

The same article also reported that another District Sunday bill had been introduced in the House of Representatives, by request, by Representative Livingston, of Georgia. This makes one Sunday bill in each house, besides the proposed religious amendment in the House of Representatives.

A brother, writing from California, states that the people in his district are not easily reached with the petitions, and that it “requires a sermon to get them to understand the matter.” He further says that the Seventh-day Adventist people are looked upon as a terrible people by many.

Another brother, writing from Pennsylvania, seems to have quite a different experience. He says he spent but little time with the petition, and succeeded in getting almost “every one to sign it, with hardly an exception.” He further says that “the people with one accord are in favor of letting the Constitution remain as our forefathers established it.” Another, writing from the State of Washington, says, “We found it easy work to get the signatures.”

W. A. C.