BLUE LAW REPEAL by Hampton W. Cottrell

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 19, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, December 19, 1916

BLUE LAW REPEAL

By Hampton W. Cottrell

Oregon's Whirlwind Campaign a Success

By HAMPTON W. COTTRELL

The Oregon compulsory rest Sunday blue law was repealed at the general election November 7, by a majority vote of 32,163. This vote demonstrates that a large majority of those voting still stand and contend for true Americanism — the right of individual choice to be or not to be religious.

The proposed initiative bill was prepared by a committee of the Independent Retailers' Association, of Portland, was circulated throughout the state, and the required number of signatures was obtained to meet the demands of the law. The bill was filed in due time with the secretary of state, placed upon the ballot, and known as the Bill Repealing and Abolishing the Sunday Closing Law.

In the meantime, the Rev. Mr. Tufts, recently from Berkeley, California, undertook to initiate a bill for a new Sunday forced rest law; but for lack of a sufficient number of signatures, the proposed measure was not placed on the ballot.

Campaign Literature Circulated

The North Pacific Union Conference Committee requested the writer to prepare a four-page leaflet setting forth the fundamental principles of the natural, constitutional, and divine right of choice of the individual, in as clear and concise a manner as possible. This was done. The national emblem in colors was placed upon the front page, and two hundred and sixteen thousand copies were ordered. A special Religious Liberty Number of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES was issued by the Pacific Press; and we circulated, in connection with the tract, one hundred and one thousand six hundred copies throughout the state.

Automobiles were loaded with this literature, which had been carefully folded, and bound with rubber bands, so that it could be readily handled; and it was distributed to almost every home and place of business in the state. This was truly the greatest sowing of literature that has ever occurred in any one state since the launching of the world-wide message.

The Southern Idaho Conference, directed by Pastor T. G. Bunch, handled the work in those Oregon counties within its domain. So also did Upper Columbia. Pastor Dart, from Upper Columbia, joined us for a few weeks, laboring in the Southern Oregon Conference. The brethren in southern Oregon did faithful work in distributing literature throughout their territory.

Pastors Hayward and Thurston and the writer spent all their time circulating literature and campaigning in lecture tours throughout the state, securing the use of large opera houses, theaters, and city halls, and closing only the night before election day. Prof. G. E. Johnson and Pastor L. K. Dickson devoted the last few weeks of the campaign to the work of distributing literature by use of automobiles.

The Active Retailers' Association

The Independent Retailers' Association, of Portland, organized themselves for definite campaign work, which was also pushed vigorously. Their executive committee ordered of us sixty thousand copies of the anti-blue law tract, and circulated them by mail all over the state.

All our churches and individuals took hold nobly, each acting his part; and in answer to our prayers and our untiring efforts, the Lord, by way of the people, gave us the victory. Oregon's citizens are once again freed from the religious tyranny that has haled them before the courts in violation of their rights.

The opposition labored arduously to retain the forced rest religious law — the fourth century heathen relic — but without avail. That they desired to enforce Sunday as a religious institution there can be no candid question; for, said the Rev. Mr. G. L. Tufts, superintendent of the Oregon Sunday forced rest league: "The church can prosper in the midst of saloons, as is evidenced by Norway, Sweden, Scotland, and Canada. But the church will perish when the Lord's day is converted into a holiday devoted to Sunday business, common labor, and worldly sports and amusements."—(Signed) G. L. Tufts, superintendent Weekly Rest Day League, Pacific Christian Advocate, October 11, 1916. Referring to the repeal bill, he says, "Will not each church appoint a committee to work at the polls on election day to defeat this vicious bill?"

The Pastors Were Indifferent

The league's superintendent proceeds to recite a little modern history that will be of special interest to the public: "The bill which was drafted and advocated by the Weekly Rest Day League is not on the ballot, because only one ninth of the four hundred fifty pastors to whom the initiative petition was sent for signatures returned them to our office."—(Signed) G. L. Tufts, superintendent Weekly Rest Day League, Pacific Christian Advocate, October 11, 1916.

But in the Oregonian, July 4, 1916, he assigns an altogether different reason for failing to initiate his bill for a new Sunday compulsory rest law: "The executive committee of the league concluded it would be better to have but one Sunday bill before the voters, so as not to confuse the issue, and to hold our measure in abeyance. So we will try out the question in November whether the people want a Sunday law by taking the field against the Kellaher repeal measure. We expect to snow his measure under by a heavy vote. In this way, we will demonstrate to the legislature that the people of Oregon want a Sunday rest law. Then we will ask the next legislature to amend the existing law so as to make it an up-to-date, effective statute, free from any unjust discriminations."

Confessed to Be Unjust

Be it observed that the superintendent of the blue law league herein acknowledges the statute to be "unjust," but nevertheless desired to retain it.

Once again: "Should it be repealed, it will be more difficult to get a new law enacted. Will not every pastor urge his congregation to vote 313 No, and thus cast their ballots against the repeal of the law? Also appoint a committee to work at the polls."—(Signed) G. Louis Tufts, superintendent Weekly Rest Day League, Pacific Christian Advocate, November 1, 1916.

We thank the Lord, and give due credit to the intelligence of the people of Oregon, that the blue law is dead and buried; and we agree with Mr. Tufts that it will be more difficult, now that it is repealed, to get a new one.

A Fatal Delusion

SOME people advocate that it matters little what one believes, so long as he is sincere in living up to his belief.

But can sincere belief in an untruth save us? If so, Jesus need not have come to earth to make known the truth. He lived the truth. He taught the truth. He was and is the truth. He sanctified Himself through the truth, that by it we also might be sanctified. His divine, living truth is still in the world. He left His word for us, and it is truth. Through it, and it alone, may we know what is error, what is not truth.

Listen to what this Word of truth says upon this very question of the importance of finding and believing the truth:

"Whose coming [Jesus'] is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish [And why do they perish?]; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause [that they would not love the truth, showing that it was within their reach, yea, that they knew of it] God shall send them [permit to come to them] strong delusion, that they should believe a lie [to be true, instead of believing the truth to be truth, as it is]: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thess. 2:9-12.

This is strong language, but it expresses God's hatred for that theory by which people are lulled to sleep when they assure themselves and others that it matters little what one believes, so long as he is sincere in his belief. Thousands upon thousands will go to perdition entrenched within this fatal delusion.

One may be ever so sincere in the belief that he is in the way that will lead him out of the forest where he is hopelessly lost. He thinks he is going straight home, when in actual fact he is circling around and around, making no headway whatever toward home. What does he need — more sincerity? — The rather, a compass. God's book — the truth — is the compass placed within the reach of every lost man. It will safely guide each soul home. But, like the compass, it must be obeyed, even though to the lost one the needle seems to point in exactly the wrong direction.

Reader, search God's book for truth; find it, love it, live it, and be saved by it. It is our only hope of life. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." These are Jesus' own words.