Show RELIGIOUS legislation the state of arkansas appears to have difficulty difficult in enacting ena eting laws in harmony witt with the constitution of f the united states and the great self evident truths enunciated in the declaration of independence that allmen all men are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights four years ago the state legislature of arkansas repealed an exemption clause to the state sunday law which granted those who conscientiously observed the seventh day of the week the privilege of laboring on the first aphis working wor kini hardships even to the fining and imprisonment of many respectable citizens the next legislature of 87 re enacted the exemption but according to the arkansas gazette of march 6 5 a bill h has been introduced intro laced and already passed the senate to again repeal the exemption clause various opinions were entertained by the different senators as to the propriety of legislating upon religious affairs some holding that it was not in the province of civil law to prescribe a day or manner of worship that every sect should be allowed to observe the day of their choice and that to abridge in any ady way the laws of personal liberty was wrong in spirit and theory senator miller said that he hold held a membership in the methodist church because he thought them the most liberal and opposed the bill because it proposed the wo worst rot kind of religious intolerance another senator said if the bill should become a law some of the best citizens would leave the state senator tillman the projector of the bill though styling those who would be seriously affected by the passage of the bill as a very devout and respectable spec table people and generally good citizens favored their expulsion rather than the toleration of a diversity in religious customs this appears to be quite a digression from the spirit of american liberty and freedom and out of harmony with the principles of the constitution of the united states which prohibits congress from making antany any laws respecting the establishment he lish jentof ment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof what is true of CoR congress gress in this res respect hect ought to be true of state legislatures the constitution also says th at no ro r licious test shall ever be made as a 8 qualification to any office of public trust under the united states neither should any test be made AS a matter of right to citizenship or a sti standard of civility in the united states the fourteenth article or amendment bears directly upon this point which says no state tate shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities muni ties of citizens of the united states it also requires each state to grant to every person within its jurisdiction equal protection of the law jaw this it appears the bill introduced trod by senator tillman and already passed by the senate fails to do it guards one citizen in his re legious rights but not another it allows one man to labor six days in the week and obey his conscience and another but five if lie he obeys his in other words it interferes with the rights of conscience and as the right of the state to make mahe choice in religious matters the words of washington should be commended to the arkansas legislature said he every roan mau who conducts himself as a good citizen is accountable alone to god for his religious faith and should be protected in worshiping god according to the dictates of his own cons science this is not only good doctrine for lawmakers law makers and religionists zionists ts but it embodies the very principle upon ulon which our government stands civil and religious liberty W A |