SUNDAY ENFORCEMENT BY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
A FAR-REACHING project for securing a Sunday law in California has been prepared for presentation to the next Legislature. It is designed to plant the principle of enforced Sunday observance in the State Constitution, and to this end the following proposed amendment will be submitted to the Legislature for reference to the people: "The necessity of encouraging and fostering the observance of one day in seven as a day of rest, is hereby recognized as essential to the welfare of the State, and to that end it is hereby provided— "1. That the keeping open of bars, saloons, race-courses, and coursing-grounds on the first day of the week is prohibited, and the Legislature shall provide penalties for the violation of this provision, and for the proper enforcement of the same. "2. That the Legislature may provide that stores, workshops, banking houses, and other places of business of all classes or calling, shall not keep open on the first day of the week, and shall provide penalties for the violation thereof. "3. That the legislative body of any city, city and county, or county, may provide by ordinance that stores, workshops, banking-houses, and other places of business of any class or calling, shall not keep open on the first day of the week, and shall provide penalties for the violation thereof; provided, that such ordinance may enlarge, but can not restrict or limit, the scope or penalties of any provision enacted by the Legislature on the same subject; provided further, that whenever a petition is presented to the legislative body of any city, city and county, or county by ten per cent. of the voters thereof, asking that any ordinance authorized under this subdivision to be passed by such legislative body set forth in said petition be submitted to the qualified voters of said city, city and county, or county for their approval or rejection, the said legislative body must submit the same to the voters of said city, city and county, or county for their approval or rejection at the next general election held therein, or at a special election called by such legislative body for that purpose. At least two weeks' notice shall be given of such election by publication in some newspaper published in said city, city and county, or county. If approved by a majority vote of the voters, voting therein, the same is thereby adopted and becomes binding as a valid ordinance of said city, city and county, or county as the case may be, and supersedes any ordinance in conflict therewith, and can only be modified or repealed by a majority vote of the voters of said city, city and county, or county voting upon the question of the modification or repeal thereof. "4. Provided, however, that any law or ordinance passed or adopted under the second or third subdivision of this (article or section) shall not apply to persons who conscientiously believe that the seventh day of the week should be observed as the Sabbath, and who actually refrain from opening their places of business on that day." We are informed that this proposed amendment was drawn up by a prominent attorney of Sacramento, and favorably passed upon by Judge Waste, of the Superior Court of Alameda County. Also that it has been endorsed by the California M. E. Conference, by the Southern California M. E. Conference, by Bishop Moreland of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and by the Lay Convention of the California M. E. Conference, and by the State Convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.