Sunday-Law Crusade in Jacksonville, Fla.
By F. Frederick Bliss
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., is feeling the terrific throes of a “reform” along lines of “civic righteousness,” according to the Florida Times-Union of that city. The Ministers’ Alliance comes out with an address to the people, disclaiming any intention of entering upon a “blue-law” campaign. “Without putting any sectarian, irrational, or ascetic stress,” they say, “upon the reasonable demands of that day,” they urge the people to think upon the fact that our Lord declared, “The Sabbath was made for man!” This seems to them sufficient reason why they should demand civil statutes to compel men to observe the sabbath. Those who accuse them of “fanatical restrictions” or of “trying to force people to attend worship on Sunday,” they say, “simply throw chaff in the air to blind the public to the real issues in the case.” “Are you willing,” they ask, “that your children shall grow up without reverence for the Lord’s day?” and all the while they are hiding the Lord’s day from their own and everybody else’s children. They make much of the significance of a day of rest to the working man, and do not seem to see that to some working men, at least, it is very plain that their remedy for the evil of Sabbath desecration would bring in a much more serious evil—that of putting men where they can not work six days in the week without breaking either the law of God or that of man. When will such blind eyes be open?