The National Reform Conscience
By Editor
It is even thus that the Congregationalist of March 7 raises its voice of lamentation over the closing hours of Congress:— “The Sabbath desecration which marked the expiring hours of the Fiftieth Congress ought to sadden and shame the nation. . . . When will the people discover that only men who have a conscience, alike for themselves and for the nation, are fit to be intrusted with the public welfare? Let us be grateful that the incoming President declined to receive political visitors, and thus did what he could to observe the day.” It has the true National Reform ring. They want men who have not only conscience for themselves, but conscience for the nation. And it is just this kind of a conscience which will enact and enforce laws compelling all men to abide by what this official conscience may dictate. In its Sunday sitting Congress violated no law, human or divine. We suppose that this fact was recognized by even the extremely conscientious legislators who formed the Blair Sunday bill. We do them the charity to believe that they did not violate conscience; and we suppose that they were not convicted of sin or crime, because they knew that “where no law is, there is no transgression.”