A Sunday Law in 1914 by C. E. Holmes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 19, 1914

"A Sunday Law in 1914"

By C. E. Holmes

UNDER the above title, the Weekly Rest Day League of the Pacific Coast issues an appeal to the various denominations for help in securing a "Sabbath law" for California.

The Lord's Day Alliance, the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, and other organizations seeking Sunday legislation have, for the present, apparently shifted their center of activity from the East to the West, and are cooperating with the league. The chief reason for this movement, as stated by the Rest Day League, is:—

"A Sabbath law is needed to protect our American institutions on this coast before the European immigrants begin to pour through the Panama Canal, lest we have the Continental sabbath established here. Then we should be able to display the American sabbath to our visitors from the ends of the earth at the Panama Exposition."—United Presbyterian, Jan. 29, 1914.

There is already on the statute books of California a law providing for a one day's rest in seven for all laborers. From a civil viewpoint, this is all that can rightfully be expected or desired. But this law does not satisfy the so-called reformers. They want protection for Sunday only. They wish it set apart as a religious institution.

Mr. G. L. Tufts, former superintendent of the Pacific branch of the International Reform Bureau, has been appointed field agent for the Weekly Rest Day League. In an article in the same paper mentioned above, he says:—

"More than forty of the business and labor crafts indorsed the Sabbath bill that the Weekly Rest Day League introduced in the last legislature. They want a Sabbath law, and not simply a one-day-in-seven measure. They are appealing to the churches to join them in their efforts for a Sabbath rest day as far as practicable."

This statement proves what Seventh-day Adventists for years have contended, — that religious, and not merely civil, rest day legislation is sought, and this is what will be secured eventually. A

most striking admission of the weakness of the churches to sustain their Sunday observance is made by Mr. Tufts:—

“California repealed her Sabbath law thirty years ago, and today she has more criminals per capita than any other State of the Union except Nevada, and no other State has as many women criminals as the Golden State. In many towns and localities the church is practically dead.”

This condition, Mr. Tufts would have us believe, is due to the lack of a Sunday law. But if criminals are increasing in spite of civil laws, how can he expect to stay the tide by making the religious Sunday a civil institution! This is surely a serious case. Religious conditions are certainly precarious when churches wither and die because there is no civil law to uphold them. Such an indictment could not be brought against the early Christian church in the days of its greatest peril from paganism.

There will be a strong effort now to storm the legislative halls of California. Our people will again be obliged to take up the fight against religious intolerance. “A Sunday law in 1914” is “the war cry of the Weekly Rest Day League.” The prediction is made that “if all will respond to the war cry of the Weekly Rest Day League, and rally to its standard, a splendid Sabbath rest law can be enacted within the next ten months. But it will require a united effort under one leadership. The league has been indorsed by the various church bodies, and should have the hearty support of all the friends of a Sabbath law.”

Will they succeed in their undertaking? Time will tell. The battle against the foes of religious liberty is becoming stronger every day. The intolerant spirit behind the great movement for Sunday legislation is becoming more and more pronounced.

Shall we need to say more to stir all to renewed activity in the great work still before us?

C. E. HOLMES.