p. 4 | The Whole of it

S. D. A. Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 7, 1882

FromThe Signs of the Times, Vol. 8, No. 34; Special Edition, No. 1

The Whole of it.

BELOW we give the sections of the two Codes, and the two platforms, The sections from the Penal Code are under the head of “Offenses against Religion.” The Penal Code speaks of the Sunday as the “Christian Sabbath.” It enforces its observance solely as a matter of religion. The Civil Code treats it as a holiday—a day of rest for all the laboring classes.

THE PENAL CODE.

§ 299. Every person who, on the Christian Sabbath gets up, exhibits, opens, or maintains, or aids in getting up, exhibiting, opening, or maintaining any bull, bear, cock, or prize fight, horse race, circus, gambling house, or saloon, or any barbarous and noisy amusement, or who keeps, conducts, or exhibits any theater, melodeon, dance cellar, or other place of musical, theatrical, or operatic performance, spectacle, or representation where any wines, liquors, or intoxicating drinks are bought, sold, used, drank, or given away, or who purchases any ticket of admission, or directly or indirectly pays any admission fee to, or for the purpose of witnessing or attending any such place, amusement, spectacle, performance, or representation, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

§ 300. Every person who keeps open on Sunday any store, workshop, bar, saloon, banking house, or other place of business, for the purpose of transacting business therein, is punishable by fine not less than five nor more than fifty dollars.

§ 301. The provisions of the preceding section do not apply to persons who, on Sunday, keep open hotels, boarding-houses, barber shops, baths, markets, restaurants, taverns, livery stables, or retail drug stores, for the legitimate business of each, or such manufacturing establishments as are usually kept in continued operation.

THE CIVIL CODE.

“§ 7. Holidays, within the meaning of this Code, are: every Sunday; the first day of January; the twenty-second day of February; the thirtieth day of May; the fourth day of July; the twenty-fifth day of December; every day on which an election is held throughout the State, and every day appointed by the President of the United States or by the Governor of this State for a public fast, thanksgiving, or holiday. If the first day of January, the twenty-second day of February, the thirtieth day of May, the fourth of July, or the twenty-fifth day of December, fall upon a Sunday, the Monday following is a holiday.”

“§ 9. All other days than those mentioned in the last two sections are to be deemed business days for all purposes.”

“§ 11. Whenever any act of secular nature, other than a work of necessity or mercy, is appointed by law or contract to be performed upon a particular day, which day falls upon a holiday, it may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed.”

DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

Resolved, That the Democratic party, inheriting the doctrine of Jefferson and Jackson, hereby declares its unqualified enmity to all sumptuary legislation, regarding all such exercise of the law-making power as against the just objects of free government, and that all laws intended to restrain or direct a free and full exercise by any citizen of his own religious and political opinions, so long as he leaves others to enjoy their rights unmolested, are anti-Democratic and hostile to the principles and traditions of the party, create unnecessary antagonism, cannot be enforced, and are a violation of the spirit of republican government, and we still oppose the enactment of all such laws, and demand the repeal of those now existing.

REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.

History and experience unite to prove the necessity of preserving one day in seven as a day of rest from labor. Without legislation on this subject, the laboring classes might be compelled to continue in unceasing toil; therefore we are in favor of observing Sunday as a day of rest and recreation, and while we expressly disavow the right or the wish to force any class of our citizens to spend that day in any particular manner, we do favor the maintenance of the present Sunday laws, or similar laws, providing for the suspension of all unnecessary business on that day.