California Rest-Day Petition

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 5, 1912

California Rest-Day Petition

A NOTE from Brother Claude Conard, secretary and treasurer of the California Conference, contains a copy of a letter from the California secretary of state. From this it appears that the number of signatures to the Weekly Rest-day Initiative Petition aggregated 13,713. To the number reported August 7, there were added 4,999 supplemental petition signatures, making the total stated. It will be seen at a glance, however, how insignificant this number is when there is taken into account the hue and cry which has been raised over the question of a rest day for California, and the strenuous efforts that have been put forth by National Reformers to achieve this result. The facts of the case are that the citizens of this State have obtained from the publications of Seventh-day Adventists, particularly the Signs of the Times, too clear an idea of the principles involved in Sunday legislation to desire any change in their State law with respect to a weekly rest day. But this situation, instead of deterring the friends of religious liberty on the Pacific Coast from further activity, should only increase their earnestness, so that with the renewal of agitation over this question the people of the State will be alive to the danger threatening them, and take their stand on the right side.

ACCORDING to the Washington Post of October 29, liquor drinking and cigar smoking in the United States for the past year exceed all previous records. Here are the figures: "The American people are drinking more whisky and beer and smoking more cigars than ever before in history, according to tax returns received by Royal E. Cabell, Commissioner of Internal Revenue. From July 1 to Oct. 1, 1912, more than 3,800,000,000 cigarettes were smoked, an increase of 1,000,000,000 over the corresponding period of the previous year, which broke all records. The nation consumed 33,150,000 gallons of whisky during July, August, and September, an increase of 450,000 gallons as compared with that quarter of 1911, while nearly 1,950,000,000 cigars were smoked during that time. The cigar consumption promises to establish a new record. A total of 19,800,000 barrels of beer was consumed during the three months, which was 320,000 barrels more than in the same period of 1911. This somewhat surprised revenue officials, as beer drinking fell off considerably during the fiscal year ended June 30 last. That decrease was partly accounted for by Commissioner Cabell by the increased popularity of buttermilk as a summer drink. The growing consumption of these articles has greatly augmented the government's revenue. The internal revenue receipts for October, more than $2,000,000 greater than in October, 1911, eclipse all records for any October, in the judgment of Mr. Cabell."