Prohibition and Sunday Closing.
THERE is an anti-saloon sentiment springing up in Nebraska, say the despatches, that is likely to sweep that commonwealth into the ranks of the prohibition states. There seems to be a veritable prohibition wave sweeping over many sections of the country. For this good work, every one who knows anything about the curse of the saloon should be thankful. Every Christian should work in all Christian ways for the cause of prohibiting the liquor traffic in every place. He should advocate it untiringly and unceasingly. There is another item in the news despatch from Nebraska that is not so good or encouraging. It is stated that there is also a strong sentiment being worked up in favor of "Sunday closing." It does not hurt the saloon materially to be closed on Sunday only. If it can run on the rest of the week it is educating the community in the drink habit and carrying its stream of young men into the awful abyss of drunkenness. The saloon should be closed seven days out of every week, and not one day only. If those who are working for prohibition of the liquor traffic would not keep bringing the Sunday issue into it they could have the earnest support of a great many strong temperance people who can not conscientiously work to advance the interests of Sunday, for they do not consider it a sacred day. On the contrary, they believe that Sunday has been made to usurp the place of the true Bible seventh-day Sabbath of the commandment. And even if Sunday were the true Bible Sabbath, still it would be wrong in principle to require anything on that day by civil law that it would be agreed would be perfectly proper on any other day in the week. If any act or any business is wrong on one day in the week it is wrong on all days of the week so far as the civil law is concerned. To take any other position is to try to compel the government to settle a religious controversy by law. And all history attests that wherever this has been attempted it has resulted invariably in persecution and tyranny. It has never resulted in good to any one. It is the ground work of intolerance and bigotry. T.