Failure of a Sunday Bill
By W. F. Martin
At a meeting of the Ministerial Union in Portland, Oregon, the last Monday in January, an agitation was started to secure the passage of a Sunday closing act by the legislature which was then in session. Special effort was to be made to close theaters and all places of amusement on Sunday. A committee was chosen to draft the bill. This was done, and on the following Monday, which was the regular meeting day of the Union, the matter was further discussed, and a lobby appointed to go to Salem to push the measure through. The bill was placed in the hands of a member of the house of representatives, and stated at its head, “Introduced by request of the Northwest Sabbath Association.” It was soon manifest that strong opposition would be made to its passage. Both senators and representatives stated that they were opposed to any such laws. As is usual with such bills, it was referred to a committee composed of lawyers. This committee considered that its passage would be religious legislation, and not for the best interest of the state, so brought in an adverse report, recommending against its passage. The vote was then put as to whether the bill should be indefinitely postponed. In the house, composed of sixty members, there was only one vote in favor of the bill. The motion carried and the bill was killed. This was encouraging to the friends of religious liberty in Oregon, who for sometime have been carrying on a campaign of education on the proper relation which the church and the state should sustain to each other. It was interesting to know that the prominent ministers who were appointed to lobby for the proposed law, came into the capital a few moments after it had been killed. Naturally, they were not very well pleased. Nothing further could be done, however, as the rules of the legislation forbid the introduction of any similar bill during the present session.