Show RELIGION AND LAW Sunday laws are enacted in these modern times for the purpose of regulating regu-lating the manner in which the weekly day of rest and recreation is spent rather than to have a programme followed fol-lowed out according to the notion or belief of any man creed or party Puritanic laws which recognize only the rights and pleasures of churchgoers church-goers are out of tune with the spirit of our Institutions and shut out from healthful and Innocent recreation a large number of people who need outdoor out-door excitement once a week but can not afford i on work days I is not the business and should not be the intention of a purely secular state to concern Itself with holy days except to preserve the usual order and to secure to all men whether church members or not equally their rights of conscience conscence Laws in this country ought not to be construed t prescribe religious observances observ-ances of any kind creedal or general and it is a mistake to enforce them to that extent The law of every day should be enforced every day of the week but something should be left to private opinion in the selection of recreations rec-reations on days of rest Religious people should not be disturbed dis-turbed in their worship churches and churchmen are entitled to profound respect health and human happiness require one day of relaxation out of every seven and the peace and morals of communities should be protected at all times But when the state has secured se-cured to every man the right to observe ob-serve the day a he pleases or when It has allowed the majority to name the day when there shall be no work done except on morning papers it has done quite as much as it can be expected to do and remain consistent with our system and theory of government ment Sunday laws that go beyond that limit and seek to establish a special code of morals for the day are un American They belong to the Cotton Mather r |