The World’s Day of Rest – Part 1

TimeWatch Editorial
December 22, 2015

On October 24, 1915, the New York Times Published an article entitled: “Expert Suggests a New Model Sunday Law.” The expert quoted in the article is Powel Crichton, Attorney for the Sabbath Committee. Mr Crichton’s office was located at 14 Wall Street, and even though Sunday Laws had been in effect for some time, there was still some difficulty in implementation. Of course, the beginning of Sunday Legislation reaches back to 321 A.D, when "Constantine the Great passed an edict commanding all judges and inhabitants of cities to rest on the venerable day of the sun."

In England, the legislation that prohibited Sunday Labor was passed in 1676. It was also the basis of the early American Legislation. Notice what it says:

“For the better observation and keeping holy the Lord's dayall persons shall on every Lord's Day apply themselves to the observation of the same, by exercising the duties of piety and true religion, publicly and privately . . and . . . no tradesman, artificer, workman, laborer, or other person whatsoever, shall do or exercise any worldly labor, business or work of their ordinary callings, upon the Lord's day, or any part thereof work of necessity and charity only excepted:” Sunday Observance Act, 1676, 29 Car. 2, c. 7.

Powel Crichton says that the Sunday Laws are difficult to implement or for that matter enforce because of the secular element mixed with the religions. He therefore submits a more specific Sunday law that would define its true purpose. His proposals are detailed and specific. Here are his submissions:

Section 1:

The first day of the week being by general consent set apart for rest and religious uses, the law prohibits the doing on that day of certain acts hereinafter specified, which are serious interruptions of the repose and religious liberty of the community.

Section 2:

A violation of any prohibition of this chapter is Sabbath Breaking.

Section 3:

Punishment for Sabbath Breaking.—Sabbath breaking is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not less than ten dollars and not more than fifty dollars ; but for a second or other offense, where the party shall have been previously convicted, it shall be punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars and not more than Five hundred dollars or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding five days, or by both fine and imprisonment.

Section 4:

Labor Prohibited on Sunday.—All labor on Sunday is prohibited except that which is incidental to any business hereinafter excepted, or not prohibited, and excepting the works of necessity and charity, which the public comfort, good order or health of a community demand and need the continuation thereof ; but every person employed in any excepted business is prohibited from working on Sunday unless an affidavit is in the possession of the employer specifying the day in each week that the employee refrains from labor.

Section 5:

Persons Observing Another Day as a Sabbath.—It is a sufficient defense to a prosecution for labor on the first day of the week, that the defendant uniformly keeps another day of the week as holy time, and does not labor on that day, and that the labor complained of was done in such manner as not to interrupt or disturb other persons in observing the first day of the week as holy time.

This is the usual section found in most every State. It protects a Jew or those who believe in keeping Saturday because it is the biblical Seventh Day. It is no defense to a prosecution for conducting a prohibited business for the reason that employees may work Saturday and really not deprive the owner of any business returns. Usually the Jew desires his Christian employees to work on Saturday and his Jewish employees to work on Sunday.

Mr. Crichton’s outline is quite specific, especially section 5. There is, of course more to this, but what is indeed compelling is that section 5 at least appears rather accommodating. The final version of this law will not be as accommodating. As we shall see as we continue early attitudes will harden.

Cameron A. Bowen

download a high-resolution PDF  of the“Expert Suggests a New Model Sunday Law.” Article.