p. 6 | SUNDAY-LAW PETITIONS by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 17, 1890

SUNDAY-LAW PETITIONS.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

WE have just received the American Sabbath Union's Monthly Document, No. 13, bearing date of December, 1889, the last page of which contains a copy of the new petition, which is being circulated in behalf of the national Sunday law. The following is a copy of the petition to be presented to the United States Senate, a duplicate being furnished for presentation to the House of Representatives:—

Petitions Gathered by the............................................................Sabbath Association.

FOR A SUNDAY-REST LAW.

The petition which follows was endorsed by a standing vote of..................to..................(men and women of 21 years of age or more) by a meeting of citizens of the State (or Territory) of............................................................County of............................................................City (or Town) of............................................................on............................................................

Attest: ........................................................................................................Presiding.

The petition which follows was endorsed at regularly-called meetings by the following churches, labor societies, temperance unions, and other organizations of the above-named locality:

............................................................Church....................................members, by vote of..................to..................Attest:............................................................

To the United States Senate:

The above organizations and undersigned adult residents (21 years of age or more) of the place aforesaid, hereby earnestly petition your honorable body to pass a bill, forbidding, in the United States mail and military service, and in interstate commerce, and in the District of Columbia and the Territories, all Sunday traffic and work, except works of real necessity and mercy, and such private work by those who religiously and regularly observe another day of the week by abstaining from labor and business, as will neither interfere with the general rest nor with public worship.

[Individual signatures in their own handwriting, preceded by Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. Add more paper for individual signatures.]

There can be no question but that, in a certain sense at least, there is no attempt to deceive in this petition. It is about as bold an attempt to perpetuate a fraud as was ever conceived. It is presumed that petitions represent the will of the petitioners; but here is a deliberate plan to represent people as petitioning who have never expressed an opinion. The securing of the individual signatures is a secondary matter. If they are secured, more paper must be added; but on the petition paper there is no provision made for this. Wholesale representative indorsement is all that is planned for.

The reader will notice that the only chance for definiteness of statement in filling out the petition is the number of persons belonging to the church or organization voting. The number of people voting is left indefinite. For instance, if the matter were presented at a meeting of an organization containing 300 members, a part of whom were present, and a portion only of those present voting, the petition would be filled out, stating that the petition which followed was indorsed at a regularly-called meeting of the Blanktown Methodist Church, 300 members, by vote of 125 to 175. Which one of these numbers would be taken as representing the number of petitioners?—Of course it would be the largest number. They would not take the smallest, and they could not use the next larger, as that would not be definite; and so, following the old custom, where there is a doubt, they will count everything and thus be sure to have enough. Of course the exact number voting in any meeting might be ascertained by a simple count, but that would take too long; and the number of petitioners could not be increased so rapidly as by this method.

It is evident from the framing of the petition that it is not designed in any instance that the number of voters shall be counted. Only a few moments ago a friend was telling about a Sunday-law meeting which he attended in Milwaukee, which was conducted by Mr. Crafts. At the close those who favored the petition were requested to rise. Then Mr. Crafts said that they would not take time to count those who voted, as it was somewhat late, but that the pastor knew the number of sittings in the church, and he could fill out the petition. Since this is the way the work of securing petitioners for a Sunday law is carried on, we cannot see why they go through the formality of taking a vote; for it is not individual influence that is represented, but church pews.

We commend this work to the careful consideration of all who think that the passing of a Sunday law would be a righteous act. If Sunday laws are righteous, how is it that so much iniquity and deceit are indulged in to secure them? Do these people believe in doing evil that good may come? If they do, let them be warned by Rom. 3:8.

E. J. W.