SENATOR HOAR ON SUNDAY LAWS.
SENATOR GEO. F. HOAR of Massachusetts adds to his other duties that of president of the “Sabbath Protective League of New England.” These are his views as set forth in the Defender:— Experience has convinced a majority of our people that a rest from labor of one day in seven is not only desirable, but essential for the mental and bodily health of men and women in general. A great many persons think that that day of rest ought to be devoted to a consideration of spiritual interests, of the relation of man to his Creator and the hopes of a future state, to the religious training of the young, and the religious improvement of persons of mature age. The State has the right, I think, to secure this period of rest by law. There is the same right to do it that there is to secure the quiet of the night. I do not, therefore, undertake, in advocating moderate and reasonable Sunday laws, to put any restraint upon the conscience of my neighbor or compel him to any religious observance which his own conscience does not demand of him. I do not enter into the question of whether the fourth commandment was a divine command at all, whether it was for Jews alone, or whether it relates to the seventh or the first day of the week. I concede that the legislative power in the State has no right to be discussing such questions or acting upon such reasons. But I think the State may secure for its citizens periods of rest and reasonable opportunity for worship, religious meditation, and religious instruction, which, if desired by a large enough body of citizens, may be secure from interruption by the prohibition of secular business. To the first two sentences no Bible Christian can object. But what right has the State to interfere? It does not secure the quiet of the night. In almost all cases that regulates itself. When factories, mills, or mines need to run nights, they do so. Law never interferes. If a man wishes to labor in forest or field all night, or travel with horse or wheel, no one objects, no law interferes. Drunken, noisy rowdyism is properly suppressible at all times, day or night. Senator Hoar does not propose to put any restraint upon the conscience of his neighbor which his own conscience does not demand of him. And in this he is doubtless sincere, for the senator is known to be a lover of liberty; but if he will furnish such a law, there are very many who will not be troubled about the other man’s conscience. Their own would be made the standard, and if the other man did not conform, the power of the law would be quickly invoked. No State can secure or attempt to secure a Sunday law without discussing and deciding upon the theological, religious questions involved. Every attempt of the past has been demonstrated failure. Mr. Hoar would launch the boat in the strong current of the stream, but prevent it going over the falls. He would expose the person to smallpox contagion, but prevent the disease. Out of just such seemingly harmless laws as these advocated by Senator Hoar, grew the Dark Ages with their black record of persecution. Moreover, the Christian needs no State law to secure to him a period of rest and worship. This God has already done. There is no law to prevent working men from ceasing labor on Sunday, if they desire. They may lose their place, it is true; but men who will sacrifice for principle can find and make a place elsewhere. To sum it all up, no kind of a State Sabbath law or Sunday law is needed by any man in all America. No one is made better by such laws. They have always resulted in evil, and will ever so result. It is too bad that a man of Senator Hoar’s standing should lend his influence in any degree to such unholy principles.