Sunday Laws

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 13, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 32.

Sunday Laws.—In its review of what it calls “Sabbath reform,” which largely means “reform” in religious matters through civil law, the Christian Statesman of August 1 notes that “Louisiana is going backward in the matter of Sabbath legislation.” Ten years ago saloons and barrooms were closed on Sunday; now they will be allowed to open, except between the hours of 9 A.M. and 12 M. But this is in harmony with the old original Sunday-keeping. The same paper questions whether the same tactics in fighting Sunday laws will not be successful in Toronto, Canada. Progress in Sunday legislation and Sunday enthusiasm is noted in St. Paul, Minn., Riverside, R. I., St. Joseph, Mich., while the Sunday cause seems to be suffering in Pittsburg and Allegheny, the home of the Christian Statesman. In St. Joseph, Mich., the saloon men, who are compelled to close on Sunday, “are retaliating by closing every form of business on that day.” The above paper remarks: “We can but wish that their efforts may be successful.” Many of the orthodox Jews in Pittsburg, who keep their places of business closed on the Sabbath, “claim that for this reason they should be allowed to open on sabbath [by which is meant Sunday]. They are organizing to ask for remedial legislation at the next Legislature.” But not a word in regard to their rights does the Christian Statesman utter. The man who truly knows and believes the Gospel of Christ will not ask for religious legislation, or legislation to enforce the observance of religious dogmas. In other words, he who knows the arm of God will never seek to the arm of flesh.