Sunday for Health by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 8, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 10.

Sunday for Health.

By Editor

It is said by the advocates of Sunday laws that the Sabbath is needed for health's sake; but as men will not take this rest needed for their health, therefore a Sunday law is necessary. But if it is necessary for civil governments to make a law to compel men to rest one day in the week for health's sake, why not make a law regulating their sleep? There are many more people die, or become insane, or are wrecked in health, or form immoral or vicious habits, by loss of sleep, than there are from working on Sunday. Why not make a law to check the greater evil? Why not say that men shall spend so many hours in bed, or be in their houses so many hours with lights extinguished? Such a law would be in favor of working men and working women; and many hard-working editors would lose nothing by it. And when the government has gone thus far, ought it not to take a further step and say that men should eat only so many times a day, and just such kinds of food? The most intelligent and advanced physicians are generally agreed as to the necessity of such matters in order to the maintenance of health; ought not the government, for the good of working men, to pass a law regulating the food? And then some kinds of dress are much more healthful than others. Ought not this good, paternal government to regulate dress by law? Then we would have civil dress, civil meals, civil foods, civil drinks, and civil nights, as well as a “civil sabbath,” and one would be just as sensible as any of the others.