Let Bad Enough Alone

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 6, 1909

Let Bad Enough Alone.

The mayor of East Liverpool, Ohio, seems to have the genuine good sense to at least let bad enough alone. In this it was manifest: Ohio has a Sunday law, not among the mildest by any means, yet it isn’t rigid enough to suit the ministerial association, at any rate its rigidity must be used to the very letter; and therefore the ministerial association of the city presented to the mayor a request that “the protection of the Lord’s day as a day of rest is necessary, not only to the well-being of the religious life of our people, but to the preservation of morality and good order of society;” and therefore they requested “a faithful and persistent enforcement of all our Sunday laws.”

The mayor responds that he believes the laws of the city “are well observed on the Sabbath,” and sees no outward evidence that would indicate anything else. The mayor contends that it is proper to keep soda-water fountains on Sunday that people may get good water to drink.

The Ohio Sabbath law has a fine for those who do any kind of common labor upon that day save works of necessity, or charity, of $25.00 for the first offense, and each subsequent offense not less than $50.00 nor more than $100; and in prison not less than five nor more than thirty days.

There are those in California at the present time who are demanding a much milder Sunday law than this, as “educational,” but “not the ideal,” which means in other words, that the Legislature having permitted this, more will be demanded. Ohio, with its much more rigid Sunday law, demands more. Having taken the first step, there will be constant yielding to the mistaken religio-political sentiment, until we have the repetition of the Dark Ages, simply and solely because some one’s religious ideas are not conformed to. Note also that Ohio wants the religious day protected. California ought to take warning from all these and never permit a Sunday law to be placed upon her statute-books.

Society and Its Influence

Sir Oliver Lodge, the great English Scientist, contends that society in England is deteriorating humanity and “performing the functions of the devil.” He believes that every child should have an opportunity of becoming a reasonable and proper human being. He longs that every person could have a bit of ground and put in a bit of labor there, land which one could call his own. He thinks that if the unreclaimed lands, which are held by corporations and large land owners, were open, labor could have opportunity to plant for food, and obtain all that was necessary. Mr. Lodge is only voicing what thousands have said before. If there could be but that recognition that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof,” so much of it would not be held by so few. More of the people would have a little land. We would not see the great masses flocking to the cities, the most unwholesome place to live spiritually and morally; but while this is so reasonable, we have no hope of seeing it until Christ the Lord comes, and then the righteous will fill the earth as the waves fill the sea.

Ex-Senator United States Edward W. Carmack, of Tennessee, shot dead as a result of political quarrel, November 9. Postmaster Morgan of New York City, an attempt upon whose life was made November 9. Francis J. Heney, prosecutor of graft cases in San Francisco. He was shot November 13 by a rejected juryman, but will recover.

The Kaiser and the Pope

A despatch from Berlin, dated November 28, states that Pope Pius has received a magnificent jubilee gift from the German Kaiser in the shape of a massive seal, constructed as a facsimile of the celebrated Column of St. Mark in Venice, where the pope was patriarch for many years. The noted features are a massive lion finely chiseled in gold, surmounted by a large diamond; the handle of the seal is a deep blue amethyst embellished with crosses and laurel leaves. Embedded in the base is an inscription in diamonds setting forth the pope’s name and age. It was sent to the Vatican in a golden casket, bearing on the outside the papal emblem in diamonds. And this from the country of Martin Luther!