What Will They Do? by Alonzo T. Jones

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Aug 7, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 30.

What Will They Do?

By Alonzo T. Jones

The Christian Statesman and the Christian Instructor are in great agony because Congress has violated the Sabbath by continuing in session on Sunday, July 6. And they say, "The president of the United States was also a partaker in this transgression;" because he was at the Capitol till after midnight on Saturday night, signing bills. They suggest that he should have "sent a message to both houses of Congress just before the Sabbath [Sunday] began, saying that its early hours were approaching, and when it began he would go home and rest according to the commandment, and that no bills would be signed by him on the holy day," etc.

We think they are too hard on the president. For our part we are inclined to be charitable toward the chief magistrate. We think it doubtful whether he has a copy of the commandment referred to. We think it altogether likely that Mr. Arthur has never seen a statute that designates Sunday as a "holy day." And therefore these papers are certainly derelict in their duty, in not sending to the president a copy of the Sunday-holy-day commandment, before they condemn him for neglect of his duty. If they should take our advice, we would throw in this caution:—

Gentlemen, we beg of you, don't commit the blunder of sending to his excellency a copy of the fourth commandment, nor any reference to it as bearing on Sunday, for he is enough of a lawyer to know that that commandment enjoins the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath, the holy day, and that it makes no reference whatever to Sunday as such. By the way, we wish you would send us a copy of that Sunday commandment, too.

They will not do it, however; but we know what they will do. By constitutional amendment these folks will place themselves where they can issue the command and exact obedience to it. ALONZO T. JONES.