"Lively Times Presently."
By W. A. BLAKELY.
Such is an expression which the Toledo Daily Blade of February 6, 1886, uses in an editorial on the recent proclamation of the mayor of the city of Philadelphia, warning all against a violation of the Sunday law of 1794, which enforces the observance of the first day of the week, but makes no exemption of those who conscientiously observe the seventh. The paragraph entire, is as follows:— "If the mayor of Philadelphia is a man of grit, the courts of that city will be likely to have lively times presently. He has issued a proclamation quoting an act of 1794, which prohibits the performance of any worldly employment on Sunday, and provides for a penalty of $4.00 fine or imprisonment for six days in the House of Correction. All persons are warned against a violation of that law. The mayor evidently means business." The law in the past has caused some hardship to Christians who, having "rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment," afterward went quietly about their work on the first day of the week. A Seventh-day Baptist of Venango, has been repeatedly fined and imprisoned. Seeing this, an effort was made in the legislature of 1881–82, by some of the leading men, to secure a provision by which the law would exempt observers of the seventh day, which lacked but one vote of passing. In the following session, 1882–83, the bill was introduced again. But Hon. Felix R. Brunot, the president of the National Reform Association, on receiving a copy of the bill, had it published in the Commercial Gazette, of Pittsburg, condemning it in the following manner:— "Its enactment will lead toward the destruction of the Christian Sabbath in this commonwealth. It is very desirable that the bill should be understood by our people, and that numerous and emphatic protests be adopted and forwarded immediately." The result was, that, when a vote was taken, the "bill was defeated by the surprising majority of 130 against 37." Such was then the feeling in regard to a law which only placed all on an equality. This feeling has been continually growing stronger, and now a proclamation is issued by the mayor of Philadelphia in which "all persons are warned against a violation of that law," and he "evidently means business." Other places will soon do the same. Undoubtedly, we shall have "lively times presently," and the prosecution of those citizens who assert their rights—rights given to them by the Creator of the universe, in the moral law—of observing the seventh day of the week and engaging in labor on all of the others, including the first, will be continued with increased diligence and severity. The desire of Mr. Brunot, that "numerous and emphatic protests be adopted" against a bill proposing to give all equal rights before the law, shows plainly the real position they hold, and indicates the steps they will take when they have the power. Reader, stop and think before you indorse a movement which will deprive any American citizen of the privileges which he should enjoy. Let every one who loves the freedom which the Constitution of our nation insures him, consider well the step before making any move to abridge the rights of any, for which, before they were obtained, many a patriotic ancestor gave his life.