THE WORST KIND OF CLASS LEGISLATION.
By M. C. W.
THE Voice, of New York, the leading prohibition paper in the country, in speaking of the political "platform of the future," in its impression of August 21, mentions as the second desirable point in that platform the following:— "No class legislation. This would be a plank which, faithfully carried out, would of itself give glory enough to any party. If a government has any excuse whatever for its existence, it must have as its foundation-stone, equal rights—an equality of opportunity for all." In this we agree with the Voice most heartily. It is good, sound political doctrine. But does the Voice believe this? In the same article, under number 4, they say:— "American institutions for America. . . . The phrase 'American institutions' means a public-school system free from all sectarian bias. It means one rest-day in seven. It means the preservation of the home, the family, as the integral factor of American life. It means purity at the ballot-box, and swift condemnation for the briber and the bribed. It means free speech, an open forum for the discussion of public questions, and freedom of conscience. It means liberty, but not unbridled license." We also agree with the above, with one exception, namely, "It means one rest-day in seven." This we interpret as meaning what so many Prohibitionists are contending for, and what has been expressed in so many platforms and resolutions. It means, in other words, the enforcement of Sunday by civil law. Now these things are true as regards Sunday:— - It is a religious institution.
- It is not held by all Americans as a religious institution, but only a part, and is not in any sense peculiar to Americans.
- It is not even observed by all as a day of rest merely.
- There are others who are good citizens in every respect who not only do not observe Sunday, but who religiously observe another day, and therefore from economic as well as religious reasons cannot observe the first day of the week.
From a consideration of these facts, it seems to us that it must be plain to all that legislation enforcing Sunday as the Sabbath is "class legislation," for it elevates into the highest citizenship ostensibly the class who observe Sunday, while it proportionally degrades those who do not regard the day or who do not believe in such legislation. But it is said that it is not as a sabbath that they wish Sunday enforced, but only as a civil rest-day. This, however, is only an evasion. Pass the law and call the day by what name we will, the effect, the result, will be the same. It is a religious sabbath still. "But," says one, "the workman needs protection, and so does worship on that day." And we reply, Both are protected. There is no law in the United States which will compel a man to work on Sunday. "He may lose his place." Well, men have lost more than that for conscience' sake, and if men believe and love the Sabbath, they will risk the loss of work for the blessing of conscience; and as far as public491worship is concerned, it is amply protected in every State in the Union on any day of the week. It is an obscure way of putting it, but "one day's rest in seven" always means Sunday laws, and Sunday laws mean "class legislation." And every one of these arguments is just as forcible against the seventh day as against the first day. Government has no right whatever to legislate concerning either day. Government has no right to thus draw distinctions between its citizens. Sabbath legislation is the worst kind of class legislation. Will the Voice show wherein it is not?
M. C. W.