Moral Character and Sunday Law.
By Editor
A pamphlet comes to our table entitled, "Lawyers, Morals, and Masons," said to be "moral guides adopted by The Chicago Bar Association on June 29, 1910." These "moral guides" are, generally speaking, most excellent, and if followed would greatly exalt the legal profession. The prohibitions they contain, however, indicate clearly the necessity of this action. The last part of the little pamphlet deals with moral character, especially involving the Sunday law, in which it is contended that a person "has not behaved as a man of good moral character and one well disposed to the good order of this country if he has habitually, knowingly, and wilfully violated the Sunday closing law." Now in the first place it is well to remember that neither courts nor legislatures can make standards of morality. That lies outside of their domain. They may legislate on civil things, prohibit incivility, enforce civility, or what is right between man and man, and man and the state; but man's duty to God, man's duty regarding moral questions, lies between himself and God. So Daniel, prime minister of Babylon and of Persia, regarded it. So also did the apostles. In every case where the test came they acted contrary to civil law. Morality demanded it. It may demand disregard of a Sunday law.