THE HIDDEN HAND by W. N. G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Aug 21, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 41.

THE HIDDEN HAND.

By W. N. G.

THE Retail Clerks' Union of this city had a jollification meeting one night last week to celebrate their victory in compelling Sunday closing of all the establishments in which they are employed. "Recitations, songs, and camp meeting stories were indulged in to a late hour," etc. The Federated Trades stand by the movement, and so do all the newspapers. This action of the clerks is deemed by certain religious elements a decided indication of a growing sentiment favorable to Sunday sacredness. But such is not the case, as is evidenced by the fact that all shades of belief are engaged in it. They only express a desire to have the day to themselves, and the manner in which most of them will spend the day will be anything but acceptable to those who desire to see it honored as holy time. However, the success of this movement, backed as it was by such a combination of influences, paves the way for a county Sunday law, which many of the supporters of this apparently insignificant action of the clerks have all along professed to discountenance. If all the influences which have been brought to bear in this retail clerks' incident maintain their positions, a county Sunday ordinance is the next thing in order, and success is almost assured in advance. This will be one more step, and a long one too, toward the steadfast purpose of the champions of a State Sunday law. These Sunday-closing ordinances, both city and county, which are being gradually drawn over the State, are the insidious precursors of the State law; and the unwitting abettors of these little foxes in the shape of local Sunday schemes will in time discover that they have unwarily entangled themselves in the net spread by the enemies of civil and religious liberty. Sunday closing is but the first step; the stride that will logically follow a strict enforcement of such a law will be to prescribe what the idle ones shall or shall not do to amuse themselves on that day. If the masses, or even the more thoughtful classes, would but reason a little upon the law of cause and effect, as illustrated in past history, they would not be so easily beguiled into supporting measures to which they have declared themselves opposed. The State Sunday law, with all its possibilities of intolerance, is the hidden hand that is steadily taking advantage of all these local Sunday concessions.

W. N. G.