p. 264 | Review and Herald, Vol. 90, No. 11. (3/13/1913)

No Sunday Law for the District of Columbia

By William Warren Prescott

WE believe our people everywhere will be much gratified to learn that the Sixty-second Congress adjourned on Tuesday, March 4, without enacting any Sunday law for the District of Columbia. The three bills which were pending—the Johnston bill in the Senate, the Heflin bill and the Howard bill in the House—died with the close of Congress. The Johnston bill has been before the Senate under Rule IX for nearly a year, while the other two bills were not reported to the House of Representatives by the Committee on the District of Columbia.

The failure of Congress to pass any District Sunday bill is of special interest, in view of the efforts made by influential organizations to secure such action on the part of Congress. The Lord's Day Alliance of the United States, with headquarters in New York City, announced through its general secretary, Dr. George W. Grannis, that their legislative committee had prepared a bill which it was proposed to substitute for the Johnston Sunday Bill, and Dr. Grannis even announced that Senator Johnston had consented to such an arrangement. Dr. Grannis visited Washington for the purpose of urging such legislation, but whatever effort he put forth did not seem to bring the desired result. Dr. W. F. Crafts, secretary of the International Reform Bureau, of this city, announced some time ago his purpose to secure, if possible, the passage of the Johnston Sunday Bill. The Interdenominational Committee of the Churches of the District of Columbia has been urging such legislation for several years. Other organizations have passed resolutions in favor of the enactment of a Sunday law by Congress for the District of Columbia. In the face of this combination of influences, no action was taken.

During the Sixty-first Congress a Sunday bill for the District of Columbia, introduced by Senator Johnston, and embodying practically the same provisions as his bill which he introduced in the Sixty-second Congress, was passed by the Senate and sent to the House, but it was not reported by the District Committee. Senator Johnston's bill did not meet with so much favor in the last Congress, as it failed to pass even the Senate.

During the last two or three months a steady stream of letters, remonstrances, and petitions from all parts of United States has been sent to Congress, urging that neither the Johnston Sunday Bill nor any similar measure become a law. We are sure that all this had an influence upon the congressmen, and quite a number have frankly expressed themselves as opposed to any Sunday legislation.

It is more than likely that Sunday bills will be introduced into the next Congress, and this will open the way for continuing the campaign of education which has been carried on during these last few months. Those who have taken part in this campaign by passing remonstrances, by circulating and forwarding petitions, and by writing letters, may be encouraged by the results gained, and will, we are sure, respond to any call for further efforts of the same kind. Let us continue the campaign of education.

W. W. PRESCOTT.

Protestant Magazine Subscriptions

By Editor

SPECIAL attention is called to the fact that subscriptions for less than six months are not accepted for the Protestant Magazine. If this is borne in mind, embarrassment will be saved both to the subscriber and to the publishers.

Loma Linda Hospital Enterprise

READ THE ARTICLE ON PAGE 21, FROM DR. W. A. RUBLE, REGARDING THE WORK IN LOMA LINDA. REMEMBER WITH A LIBERAL OFFERING THE LOMA LINDA HOSPITAL ENTERPRISE, SABBATH, MARCH 15.

Orange Free State Conference Formed

By division of the territory of the old Cape Colony Conference, South Africa, a new conference has been formed, the Orange Free State Conference. Prof. H. Elffers is its president.

Conradi’s Reports from East Africa

We learn of the safe arrival in Europe of Elders L. R. Conradi and G. Dail, following their extended tour of the East African missions. We shall soon begin a series of reports from Elder Conradi, illustrated by photographs, bearing witness to the growth of the work in East Africa.

Blessings in the East German Union

ELDER H. F. SCHUBERTH, president of the East German Union, speaks of blessings in that field as follows: “The year 1912 has been a good one for the East German Union, 1,728 members being added to the church by baptism and vote. The net gain was 1,141 souls. If we draw a comparison with last year, we have special reason to thank the Lord, for in 1911 we had, with the Middle German Conference, a net gain of 1,007 members, whereas without this conference (that means fourteen laborers less) our gain for 1912 was 134 more. Everywhere there is a searching after truth as never before. The war gives good opportunity for drawing the attention of the people by lectures on the Eastern question.”

East German Workers Going to Brazil

Notwithstanding the immense field of the European Division, Europe is always ready to share its workers with the regions beyond the division boundaries. We have word from Elder H. F. Schubert that the East German Union, in response to an invitation from the General Conference, is arranging for Elder R. Dietrich and family to sail from Hamburg, March 19, en route to Brazil.

South African Union Camp-Meeting

By Editor

We have received copies of the Cape Times giving photographic illustrations of the camp-meeting and conference of the South African Union, which closed in Claremont, Cape Town, January 22. Letters from the field tell us of a most successful meeting, one of unusual blessing and power.

Believers in Twenty-Three Places in Peru

“We have believers now in twenty-three places in Peru,” writes Elder A. N. Allen, of Lima. That is a good word to send from a field where but a few years ago there were only a handful of believers, having to meet with closed doors on account of the restrictive laws.

Elder John Shultz Sails for Jamaica

LAST week Elder John Shultz and family, of Ohio, sailed from New York for Jamaica, West Indies, under appointment of the Mission Board. We were glad to greet these workers in Washington, on their way to the port of sailing.

Health Institute Work in Los Angeles

THE report from Dr. Belle Wood-Comstock, on page 16, of the health institute work being carried on in Los Angeles shows what might be done by many of our sanitariums in the localities surrounding them.