Show A VITAL WEAKNESS editor ogden standard dear sir in view of the strenuous efforts to be made or at boast proposed for the enforcement of S section clfon 25 of the revised ed ordinance of 1894 1 I desire to point out what seems to me a vital we weakness lakness in it which makes its rigorous enforcement impossible without violating the sacred pledges of religious freedom to a respectable spec table portion of the community the above mentioned section reads as follows it shall bo be unlawful for any per pon fon to engage in hunting or fishing or any other kind of sporting or to keep open any bar store or shop or theater playhouse bowling alley or any place of amusement or to carry on any kind of business or amusement or im unnecessary necessary bustness or labor or to barter or sell lor give away any spirituous or fineous or fermented liquors except for medical purposes within the limits of ogden city on the first day of the week commonly called sunday and which provides that for such misdemeanor the offender shall be liable to a fine less than and imprisonment for six mont months hr I 1 destro to have it understood that ali at what I 1 have to write on this subject shall not be construed to give comfort or condolence to the liquor traffic or its associated vices I 1 deeply deplore the existence in our midst of these soul coul and body destroying influences but Is it nex necessary es in waging a warfare against aguin st them that the great bul works of religious liberty should be overturned and precedents established which aro are subversive of the sacred rights and liberties of the whole people in legislating against crime why should we make a distinct distinction Jon in days there is nothing in nature matune to distinguish which ie fr the sweetest lay day or how bow it should be observed we are entirely dependent upon divine revelation fora tor a knowledge of which day Is the Sab sabbath biath therefore the sabbath is a purely religious ligi ous riot fiot a civil duty the sweetest day is the sabbath of the lord not of ogden city how then can we enforce it without enforcing a religious observance the eminent biblical writer dr albert darnes barnes has said it if we qan can have a sabbath uh maintained bained by a hm healthy athy popular sentiment rather ahau by human laws christiana christianity is safe in this land and our country Is and liberty will die together the sabbath therefore Is a spiritual institution its observance a matter of conic conscientious ten conviction rather than compulsory enforcement and Js Is therefore clearly olit outside side of the jurisdiction of civil laws and exempt from its cognizance cognize nce it Is sectarian discrimination the religious character of this law is further demonstrated from the fact that the law can not be enforced without unjust discrimination between religious sects why should tho the con jew the seventh day adventist or the seventh day baptist who are usually good law abiding citizens and who conscientiously y observe the sabbath day as the sabbath be required to surrender one sixth of their broad bread winning time to the demand 0 this reli glaus lous law upon what just basis can the seventh day oly observer server who sacrifices satier saturday the best business day of the week to an honest soul conviction be degraded to the criminal list and placed under the ban of the law because he quietly pursues a clean honest business upon tile the first day of the week A dangerous precedent I 1 do not charge animosity against seventh day observers vors to have inspired the creation of this or similar laws but can it be known that future magistrates will be its as fully guided by just and humane sentiment does docs not this taw place in tho the hands of any man whose judgment may become un bal lanced by bigotry religious prejudice or personal persona spite the cudgel of persecutions by the innocent may bo be unjustly oppressed some pe oplIes religious feell feelings are very sen sensitive etive there Is a record of a lady whose sunday quiet was greatly disturbed by the labor of another person who was setting type ln in ian an upstairs room ten blocks away tills this law recognizes a false standard of crime because it declares what Is considered laudable lau dible act of industry on ordinary week days to be a crime on any other day crime has no reference to days Is it any argument in favor of the thief or murderer that in diffee difference once to the sabbath sabbati he postponed his of censo to tho the monday morning if the liquor traffic is criminal in its character it Is so every day of the week this thia law virtually says to the saloon you may exploit all your arta and devices to ruin the bodies and souls of men and incite them to crime six days in the week if you will only shut the lid ild down aught njg ht on ti tie e first day of the week in consideration of which we will your dour criminal character under tinder a religious garb of sabbath observance this is clearly a false indars in dard I 1 believe wa we have bave placed our city officials in office not to create and on force religious laws I aws or oi decide theo logical controversies but to protect all in their equal ri rights glitA from the in of crime and alop it if the munt municipal cipal government can dedde decide what day we shall keep heep as tho the sab it can with equal propriety decide how wo shall bp bo baptized or any other religious duty but it may be said a id the sev with mth day observers vors are so chaut their rights are unworthy of notice in reply to this lot let me quote tho the eternal truth expressed by our president theodore roosevelt 1 I feel very strongly if any people are oppressed anywhere tile wrong inevitably react in the jondon nd on who oppress them for is an immutable law in the spiritual world that no one can wrong others and tot in the eaid himself escape unhurt i yours sincerely IV A ALWAY 1 pastor of seventh day advent chi church arch |