AN ALLEGED "CAMPAIGN DOCUMENT."
By Editor
WE are favored, by compliment of Hon. Grove L. Johnson, with a copy, in pamphlet form, of his Fourth of July oration delivered at Sacramento. The address contains considerable criticism of the trusts, the spirit of graft, the weakened respect for law, the desire of the ministry for "ephemeral public approval," the disposition of the newspapers to "exploit pleasure as the only aim of man," the tendency of politicians to truckle to the baser elements of society, and of the people to misuse the Sunday institution. Concerning the latter charge, the noted lawyer seems inclined to make Sunday desecration—with its purpose of money-getting—the root of all the prominent evils at present extant, and to this end draws comparison of the Sunday observance of the early days of the republic with that of the present time. Then he draws this conclusion: "I feel that just so soon as we stop this desecration of the sabbath [Sunday], just so soon as we get back to first principles and realize that the religion of man is of more account than his money, we will enter upon a new era—we will commence the eradication of these evils, and we will increase the assets and greatly reduce the liabilities of these United States." This address has attracted the attention of people who advocate a general Sunday law for California. Special consideration was given to it by both the Northern and Southern California Conferences of the M. E. Church. It is made the text for a renewed suggestion that Californians made a great mistake when they repealed the state Sunday law in 1883. It is also suggested by the California organ of that church that in the next effort to secure the reenactment of the Sunday law said address will figure as a "campaign document." Possibly this is a little more than the honorable orator anticipated. Whatever comfort the friends of Sunday legislation may find in the address, we do not see how its author could consistently advocate compulsory Sunday observance in face of this advice near the close of his remarks: "Let us remember our dependence upon Him who created all things. Let us all labor for the right in harmony. Let us educate each one of us to let each one be content with caring for his own soul, clearing out his own mind, thus living a better life, and we will soon find every danger removed from national as well as private life." It is certain that if this principle were carried out, there would be no secular sabbath laws in any state.