Show VYASHINGTOX LETTER Hcllglous AglUlion in lie District of Columbia WASIII > GTON DCJan171590 Special CorreffordcncB of the DEKEWn1 iCrus There is considerable con-siderable sensation in the District Columbia over an effort on the part of some of the religious people to Introduce n law Corthel pedal observance ob-servance of the fcatbath day Congress Con-gress has been eked to rem this law whlrlflucorpofdleS a provision provis-Ion thai no labor whacvcr shall be informed on the Snbdilli day but It Contains 11 clallie which ux certs acts religion This phraseology phrase-ology Is causing a great deal of discussion and people are inquiring l what will be dtnnctl an act of religion re-ligion and It even goes farther than thIor they ask what kind religious worship do the Sunday lawworkers intend shall be protected pro-tected by the n4l10113 Sunday Ian UienusHer ie I All kinds of religious re-ligious worship then the question arises Will it piotect such as the Chinese In their noisy demon tra lIons And It Is i thought Lj Mime that the courts in case the law should pass would have to determine deter-mine what was religion and what were the acts not consistent therewith there-with and that they would be very apt to limit it down to nets which are in union wIth the Christian religion re-ligion only This it is claimed would be au establishment of relig ion within the meaning of the Constitution Con-stitution and consequently void The following petition which I annex in print has been preSented I Congress to preVeul the nuoage r of such a law in the Di4nct of Columbia and this Is followed by certain reason i > ubli lied in the Sentinel of Xew York City and which will be suggestive to your readers with whom the question of religious freedom isof such vital importance im-portance at the present time To the JfmoraUt the Joiue ofltrnrt teatatttei of the Unilfd Bates Duplicate Du-plicate to the Senate We the undersigned adult real dents of the District of Columbia 21 rill tn ago or more hereby respect fatly but earnestly petition your honorable hon-orable body not to pass any bill In regard to the observance of the bab hath Lords Day or the first day of the week as a day of rest or worship nor to favor any legislation that will directly indirectly pho preference to the principles institutions or observances ob-servances of any one religion above another that the rights of nil the pee pie may forever remain without In fringement according to both the letter and tho uplnt of the First Amendment to our National Constitution as our fathers established it Reasons why every American citizen citi-zen ides Christian and every person i should alga this petition I 11 Ever American citizen should sign Becanso Congress is a < ke < l and t today enJeavorinc to pass a bill requiring 3 afnt b 1 andrcsutaUnjrtho observance of Sun I day as a day of rest and worship rJ it Becaase Congress Is forbidden by law the Constitution to make any such I I 1 3 Because every American I citizen i ought to respect the Conslltntlon and to doaltlse can to get obers to respect I i K cry Christian should ain U I I 1 Because the Sabbath the OUT of I I restIs the lords day and Jesus Christ hu forbidden Christians to i i render civil government that which I Is t the lords Matt xxiit2i i ih I 2 Because the Word of God has for J I bidden civil government having any Ito I thIng to do with anything l pertains to mans relations to God Item xiii I I 1910 i li Because o wy Christian ought to I 1 respect tho word of Jesut Chrisj and I to do all he consistently can to see that 1 I civil Inc within government the limits respecU which It the by Weed keep i i of God has set to jurisdiction of thc civil nower I Lvery person whether be bo an American citizen or n Christian or both or neither ought to sign this pe tition 1 Bemuse religions interference In civil things and civil interference in religious things arc both a most din erou3 invasion of the dearest rights of man 2 J1ecause 80 eminent an anthonty as Dr Philip behalf sows what it ii etsy to abundantly prevethat Sunday laws are a connecting In the union of Church ad State and no loyal American citizen no true Chrulian no man that la loyal to manklndwants any union of Church nod Slate In the United States It is thought by some in the dis cussion that extremists will even try to compel people to read no books but the Bible and go nowhere but to church on Sabbath djy and if persons were found to have ridden in a streetcar which is supposed to do nothing only religious service on the Sabbath day and should fail to attend church that they might be prosecuted It appears that Senator Blair presented this bill in Congress upon the petition ofovec two mullets of people and I that it Is favored ofcour by the most radical religionists of the day soo but 4t Is opposed not as much I li > I rouse It may become n bw of the District of Columbia where no one is compelled to reside unless they I want to except Presidents of the UnIted States and the highest offlel I ala who do as they please anyway but because it may be made a na tional law all over the country I A great many clapped their hands with Joy when the confiscation of the Mormon Church property be lme a Jaw who are now tearing I their hair for fear that Congma may listen to the same influential power to deprive them from walking in a lark on Suntll i Sunday or of reading a Sunday newspaper Instead of the four Gospels It Is when our own toes are pinched that we feel tho weight of oppression Religious liberty is a good thing to talk about I but we are not always willing to I accord it to others and Artemus Ward hit It when he said That tome people thanked God for the privilege of Worshipping Him ac d I cording to the dictates of their own conecl nces and of keeping every I body cUo from doing the same 1 thin If the Mormon leaders I had flung the passages of scripture at Congress which are being thrown around lame here on tho question non I of Snbbalh breaking and Habbatb j I kwplujr they would have brtn coD JElJcrcd In rebellion and another I of artillery would have company to protect the sent been TOsthaste protcc I Union C WfaTAYMJt |