SOME SUNDAY-LAW LOGIC

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 31, 1906

SOME SUNDAY-LAW LOGIC.

IN Winston, N. C., a man was twice convicted of violating the Sunday law by keeping open a small store. In both instances he was fined; in the last instance he refused to pay the fine, and was imprisoned. A few days before his imprisonment, during a firemen's carousal, a stone was thrown through this man's store window and considerable damage was done. But there was no arrest for the malicious mischief.

In the city of Minneapolis the saloon-keepers have become prosecutors of other business men for doing business on Sunday. Have they become converted to Sunday sacredness? have they become convinced that it is a sin to sell intoxicating drinks more than six days in the week? O no, it is simply a matter of retaliation. This illustrates the character of the Sunday law. Its peculiar feature as a law is that it can be made an instrument in the hands of vicious people for the persecution of innocent, good-citizen neighbors. Its very first use, on recognition as a church institution in the fourth century, was as a bitter persecuting agent. And that is always its mission where there is sufficient sentiment to enforce it vigorously.