OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH.
Mr. ADAMS, from the same Committee, reported back Mr. Heffren's bill [H. R. 237] to amend Section 95 of an act concerning public offense, with the recommendation that it be indefinitely postponed.
Mr HEFFREN said this bill was to amend the Sunday law. He thought the members of the House knew that the deliverer of milk, bread and ice, telegraph operators, printers and others of necessity worked on Sunday, and the bill was to prevent them from malicious prosecution.
page: 145[View Page 145]Mr. SMITH war of the opinion that the simple fact of its being a violation of the law was all that secured this much needed day of peace and rest to a certain class of our citizens. He feared that under the provisions of the bill before the House men would work seven days instead of six. He did not entertain the idea that it was necessary for a bootblack to work on Sunday, or that it was necessary for a man to shave on that day. He thought it was only the part of humanity that these needed protections should be thrown around the Sabbath in order that its blessing might continue undiminished.
Mr ADAMS read the present exceptions to the Sunday law, and was of the opinion they did away with the provisions of the bill now under consideration. He did not think that because a druggist should be allowed the privilege of selling medicine on Sunday that he should also be given the privilege of disposing of his entire stock of goods.
Mr. MOCK did not favor the indefinite postponement of the bill. If the provisions of the bill were too broad it ought to be amended and then passed.
Mr. HEFFREN believed that the car of progress which the gentleman from Tippecanoe [Mr Smith] told us about the other day in such glowing language, is still rolling on; and that tradition and prejudice should be forgot; en in the light of our present civilization. A mankind becomes enlightened the old notions will be left in the rear. He believed in respecting the Sabbath, but certain things were now regarded as necessities, and necessity knows no law. It is time that these old fogy notions take a back seat. Men should take a new view of these matters That man does best who obeys the dictates of his conscience best. He move i that the bill be recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary.
The motion was agreed to.
