THE FRIENDS OF SUNDAY LAWS.
By Editor
THE following is from Mrs. J. C. Bateham, the W. C. T. U. superintendent of the Sabbath Observance Department, who has an article in the Christian Statesman of November 19, on "The W. C. T. U. and Sabbath Reform." Inasmuch as Mrs. Bateham still retains her position, and this article has been written since the recent national convention at Denver, it may be taken fairly to reflect the position of the W. C. T. U. on the Sunday question. After speaking of the "victory of Sunday closing," over which they "congratulate one another," Mrs. Bateham continues:— Closed gates on sabbath at the Exposition, now settled as we believe beyond a peradventure, is a moral victory that casts its light down the ages, and is worthy of our highest Te Deums. The year now closing has so far broken up the deep sea of apathy and hopelessness among church people, so drawn the attention, aroused discussion, and awakened conscience on the great Sabbath questions, that, if well followed up, we believe it will prove to have been the pivot around which we shall, as a nation, swing back toward a general legal and Christian observance of the sabbath. It is an omen of great future good that all denominations and varied organizations, that capital and labor, that veteran Puritans and young Endeavorers, worked with enthusiasm on the same moral platform, and politicians could do no other than sail with the wind. It is sad, indeed, to see this great army, numbering in its ranks many noble women, giving itself to such a work. They did run well as long as they were doing a "Christian temperance" work, but they have prostituted their high calling to unholy political ends, and, like the "devout and honorable women" of old, are hindering the work of the gospel of Christ. Their Te Deums may well be placed alongside those sung by the armies of the Papacy in their seeming victories over the truth and its adherents in the Dark Ages. And who are engaged in this work? "All denominations," "varied organizations," "capital and labor," "veteran Puritans," "young Endeavorers"—all on "the same moral platform." What effect did this union have on the politicians? Why, they "could do no other than sail with the wind." It certainly was not moral fear which moved the politicians; it was the wind of popular opinion set forth by the few in these various organizations who constituted themselves representatives of their unthinking (on this subject) fellows. And then Mrs. Bateham declares:— We are on a vantage ground never before reached.83 The highest court of the United States has officially declared this a Christian nation. Congress, by its World's Fair action, has ratified the declaration, and the people, by their petitions, have said, "Amen, so would we have it." Now is the time to "push things." And how do they propose to do it?—By repeating names and organizations till they "round out if necessary the 40,000,000 represented for the closing of the World's Fair gates on the sabbath." It would be a blessed good thing if the Australian ballot system could be applied to this matter of petition; the millions would be very perceptibly diminished. No political repeater or ballot-box stuffer ever violated the law of truth more than have the promoters of this matter of petitions for Sunday laws. Congress is to be pressed now for a national law, and "Blair's bill," says Mrs. Bateham, "covers the ground" "satisfactorily to us all." And so by every means possible will Sunday bills galore be pushed forward. Say, reader, is all this Christian? Does this union of all these discordant elements on this one thing argue for its righteousness? We can understand how men of widely different motives and aims can consistently protest against the unrighteousness involved in it and the wicked results which flow from it. But is it Christian to move heaven and earth, to use and unite with the unchristian, the infidel, the antichristian, to carry forward a so-called Christian institution? Is it in harmony with God? Read 2 Chron. 25:5-9. Would Christ have done it? Read Matt. 16:22-24; John 18:36. Would Peter have engaged in it? Read Acts 8:20-23. The Sunday is coming to be, as it eventually will be, the great rallying point for all branches of apostate Christianity and the unchristian world. Herod and Pilate were made friends over the maltreated and crucified Christ. The foes of the religion of Christ will yet grasp hands over his downtrodden Sabbath, at once the memorial of the power and the token of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Reader, on which side will you stand?