p. 16 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 25. (6/25/1912)

Earlier text: A Noble Utterance for Liberty

To the Editors of California

By Editor

Preserve for Future Reference

There have been sent to you six issues of the "Signs of the Times," dealing especially with the great subject of religious liberty — your liberty as well as ours. The "Golden State" stands as free to-day in the principles of liberty as any State in the Union. Yet there is a combination of religio-political forces that are determined to compel a union of Church and State, to commit the State to religious legislation through, first, a mild Sunday law, afterward to be made more stringent and exacting. The forces behind the movement are largely from the East, directed from New York, Washington, and Pittsburg. They have for their ideal a medieval Pennsylvania colonial Sunday law. Winning California, they feel that this nation is won.

You, Mr. Editor, may not see this danger. You may feel that we are raising a needless alarm. But from a study of the question for thirty years, we assure you we are not. Let us ask of you to preserve for future reference these six issues of the "Signs" which plead for equal liberty for all men. They are not bulky; they will take little space in your archives. Be assured you will need them. You will wish to recall the voices of the past which have pleaded for liberty. If you are true and strong you will want the facts and principles presented in these issues to use in pleading for freedom. Preserve these issues for future reference.

NO PAPER NEXT WEEK. SEE NOTE.

By Editor

To the Women Voters of California

By Editor

Read "To the Women Voters of California," on page 11.

An Appeal to Christians

By Editor

On page 9 will be found "An Appeal to Christians." Are you a Christian? Read it. If you are not, read it. Read it anyway.

Our Bible Band Reading Schedules

By Editor

We give two schedules of reading in Our Bible Band, on page 2, this week, as there will be no paper next week. See note elsewhere.

Garrison on Sunday Laws

By Editor

William Lloyd Garrison stood for liberty, civil and religious, and equal suffrage. The proponents and advocates of each and all of these will be glad to read what he said on the matter of Sunday laws. It will be found on another page.

Mr. W. T. Stead and Spiritualism

By Editor

There is one article which the exigency of our make-up crowded out, which we hoped to print in this issue. It is entitled "Mr. W. T. Stead and Spiritualism." It tells us of Mr. Stead's purpose in coming to this country, and gives a message purporting to have been sent by him since his death on the Titanic.

Reject the Sunday Law Principle

By Editor

Under the Initiative this coming autumn, all will have the right of exercising the franchise for or against a Sunday law—a law as mild as a summer zephyr, but which will be made the basis for one more and more stringent till the ideals of the National Reformers are reached, under the deadly virus of which the nation perishes. The advocates of a Sunday law know that you would not enact their ideal law now. They only expect you now to commit yourself to the evil way, and they hope that human pride and persistency, ashamed to recall what has been done, will go on to the bitter end. We plead with the voters of California to see the evil results in the principle and reject the principle now. Apply the Golden Rule. Guard the rights of the individual conscience in matters of religion. The concerns of religion lie between him and his God alone.

No Paper Next Week

By Editor

By the decision of our Board of Directors, there will be no paper next week. This does not mean that our subscribers will lose a number. We shall give fifty numbers during the year, as we have promised. It was thought it would be best, however, to drop one issue before our next series of twenty-five begins, rather than in the middle of the series. We have advertised for our first issue a Fourth of July number. This, of course, as to date, will be dropped, but we will give the very best and cream of the matter which would have appeared in that in our first issue, of July 9. We do not wish our readers to lose anything of the good things that we have prepared for them, and we wish to assure them that they will not. Then, too, for six weeks we have been giving religious liberty numbers — mighty, strong issues, every one of them. An extra large number have been printed because we knew there would be orders for them. We know of no religious liberty document, or book, which covers more ground and in a better way than do these six issues. Our next issue, therefore, will be dated July 9.

Religious Liberty for Everyone

Do you believe in religious liberty truly? Then you believe in it for the other fellow, tho he be your bitterest opponent. The devil believes in religious liberty for himself.

A Noble Utterance for Liberty

By Editor

Read "A Noble Utterance for Liberty," the speech of Senator Crockett, of Arkansas, who passed through a Sunday law skirmish in that State in 1886-7.

Religious Opinion Must Not Become Law

You may decide in your own mind that this is Christian and that is not. God has given you that right. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." You may speak and teach your opinions to others. That is a right conceded and conserved by all free governments. But wo to that man, or set of men, or government, which frames religious opinion into law, and seeks to compel acquiescence by pains and penalties.

"Liberty"

By Editor

THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES has a broader field than the question of mere religious liberty. It is a Bible paper in the fullest sense. It has felt that the times demanded that it should give special attention, for a little time, to the subject of religious liberty. It will have more or less to say upon it in the future. There is one journal, however, that is devoted expressly to this subject which we wish to commend to our readers. It is a quarterly journal, entitled "Liberty," published in Washington, D. C. It gives a fair résumé, in each issue, of the progress which religious intolerance is making, and sets forth in splendid form the great principles of religious liberty. Its price is only twenty-five cents a year. We commend it to all our readers.

No Seventh-Day Law

By Editor

Would Seventh-day Adventists, if they were in a majority in California, ask for a seventh-day law? This is a question asked, and we wish to reply emphatically, No! a thousand times no! They simply believe that the Creator of the heaven and the earth, the Redeemer of mankind, is able to care for His own, and they would be willing to leave all opposers and recalcitrants with Him. They believe in the words of the Christ whom they serve: "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." John 12:46-48. They are willing that God's own agency shall do the judging, willing that the time shall be where the Master has placed it.

A Model Sunday Law.

By Editor

Sunday law men propose not only the enactment of a Sunday law, but its enforcement as well. For instance, the Idaho Sunday law, fostered and approved by Mr. G. L. Tufts, now at the head of the Sunday law forces in California, imposes a fine of from $5.00 to $100, or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both; and it makes it "the duty of each prosecuting attorney, sheriff, constable, city or town marshal, or any and all other public officers in this State to inform against and diligently prosecute any and all persons guilty of the violations of the provisions of this act, either upon credible information as to any violation, or upon reasonable cause to believe there has been any such violation." There is the basis of an inquisition to delight the soul of the most bigoted tyrant. But it is not left optional with the authorities. If they do not act, if any officer "shall refuse or neglect to inform against or prosecute said offender," he shall be fined from $50.00 to $500, and his office shall be declared vacant. Voters of California, do you wish such a law, and the expression in law of such a spirit, on the statute-books of this State? Vote it down next November.