Prohibiting the signing of state road contracts or the taking of photographs

 

The law prohibiting the signing of state road contracts or the taking of photographs on Sundays was passed in West Virginia in 1923. It was likely passed for a number of reasons, including:

• Religious beliefs: Many people in West Virginia at the time were devout Christians, and they believed that it was wrong to conduct business or engage in other secular activities on Sundays.
• Concerns about Sabbath-breaking: The Sabbath is a day of rest and worship for Christians, and some people believed that signing contracts or taking photographs on Sundays was a form of Sabbath-breaking.
• Concerns about public morality: Some people believed that allowing people to sign contracts or take photographs on Sundays would lead to other forms of immoral behavior, such as working or shopping on Sundays.

The law was controversial at the time, and some people argued that it was an infringement on their religious freedom. However, the law remained in effect for many years, and it was not repealed until the 1970s.

It is important to note that the law only prohibited the signing of state road contracts or the taking of photographs on Sundays. It did not prohibit other types of business or activity on Sundays. However, the law was still seen as a symbol of the strong religious beliefs of many people in West Virginia at the time.