Fairness and Prejudice in Sunday Persecutions
By Editor
A PRIVATE letter from Elder R. M. Kilgore, written from Nashville, Tenn., under date of June 2, states that the trials of our brethren, Frank Stem and Thomas Dortch, came off June 1, as before determined. The cases were called at 3 P.M., two juries impaneled and sworn, witnesses were called, sworn, and gave testimony, and a verdict of "Not guilty" rendered by the judge himself, by the consent of the juries, all within one hour. There seemed to be no anxiety to "make a case." "Judge Swiggart," says Brother K., "was very fair and just in all his rulings," while Attorney General Lewis did not seem anxious to bring the brethren to punishment. The grand jury of the county has just closed its sittings, but no bill was found against Sunday labor. We are glad that Judge Swiggart sees the injustice of the work which has been done in Tennessee. Would that others could see it before it is too late. IN marked contrast to the spirit of fairness shown by Judge Swiggart, of Tennessee, is that exhibited by Judge Robinson, of Maryland, lately appointed by the governor of that State as Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals. In a conversation with Elder H. E. Robinson, of New York, he showed that he understood nothing of the principle involved in these Sunday persecutions, and was bitterly prejudiced against Sabbath keepers. He said:— "Judefind should stay in jail and all the rest of the insignificant sect who believe the same silly nonsense ought to be there too. It is useless to make any appeal on these cases; the law of the State will be enforced, and those who work on Sunday will suffer the penalty." In the account of this conversation in the Union Record we read: "When reminded that the Constitution forbids laws on religious matters, he declared the Maryland Sunday law was not religious and the State had a perfect right to make it. He said he was sorry he allowed the Baker case to be continued without the condition that no more Sunday work should be done till it was settled. I assured the judge that our people could not conscientiously refrain from labor on Sunday, even though the penalty was death; but this only provoked a sneer for our foolishness." And this is the way that persecutors have ever talked and acted concerning those who possessed sufficient conscience to obey God. But God will care for his own, and his own will serve him, despite all human laws. "The foolishness of God is wiser than man; and the weakness of God is stronger than man." It is worth something to be "foolish for Christ's sake."