SUNDAY ENFORCEMENT NEWS AND COMMENT.
By John D. Bradley
[From JOHN D. BRADLEY, 60 New York Ave., Washington, D. C., N. W.] Sunday Enforcement in Hawaii.
THE Sunday enforcement epidemic is not confined to the continental territory of the United States. It has recently manifested itself far away in one of the Pacific possessions. The Honolulu Hawaiian, of November 19, under the large heading, "Sunday Laws Will Start To-morrow," announced that "to-morrow will be the momentous day when the Sabbath law, resurrected from its former innocuous desuetude, will take effect, and exercise its wonderful vagaries upon the people of Honolulu, godly as well as ungodly," and published the following interview with High Sheriff Henry as to "the details of the campaign" to be inaugurated on the following day: The sheriff said to-day that he did not think it necessary to state just in what instances the law would be enforced. "The law is there," he said, "and the people should guide themselves accordingly. It is my intention to enforce the law, but I will exercise good common sense in doing so in order not to make the measure appear ridiculous. I think the law as it stands means to be interpreted in a broad, common-sense way. There are naturally a great many instances where the law lays itself open to different interpretations. As the measure works along, light will naturally be shed on these questions. In enforcing the law it is my main intention to show and let the people find out just where the present law is practicable and where it is not. In this way a great fund of practical information will be gathered on the subject, and it will be up to the legislature to make use of this experience and frame a Sabbath law which is adapted to present circumstances. There are certain points in which the law is plain, and where it will accordingly be carried out to the letter. To-morrow the department will see that the stores are closed and that the restaurants and eating houses are closed at 7 P.M. All work on plantations, with the exception of irrigation and labor which can be shown to be of absolute necessity, will not be allowed. The principal aim of the law is to see that the laboring man is not forced to work unnecessarily. Work on the docks and on vessels will not be allowed, except in cases where the carrying of mails is expedited, thereby thus making the labor work of necessity. The band will be allowed to play in Kapiolani Park to-morrow if the governor orders it to do so, but the baseball game in the park will be forbidden. As far as the golf playing in Manoa is concerned, I can only say that the law allows such sports as do not interfere with the right of the community to spend the Sabbath quietly. I do not think that the golf will interfere. The same will be the case with shooting, rowing, and other sports. They will be allowed so long as they do not interfere with the community's rights. The police will not interfere with the publishing and circulating of Sunday papers. Meat, vegetables, milk, and such other necessaries can be sold up till 9 A.M. Neither will the police interfere with any private individual's doing odd jobs about the house. I do not think the law was intended to interfere in such cases. I am inclined to think that the fishing boats should be restricted from working between the hours of 8 A.M. and 4 P.M. However, it may be necessary for them to go out in order to supply the Monday market. I have not decided in this matter yet. The police will not interfere with the running of trams, cars, hacks, livery rigs, or any such vehicles. Two days later, under a display heading containing this statement, "Stores Closed, but Most Popular Amusements Are Suffered Without Interference," the same paper reported as follows: Honolulu's first celebration of the revived Sabbath law yesterday was not quite so strenuous as it was thought it would be. There was no bloodshed and no arrests were made. High Sheriff Henry had decided to exercise a certain amount of discretion in enforcing the law. As a result, the enforcement amounted practically only to the closing of the stores. The baseballers did not enjoy their usual game at Kapiolani Park, evidently not relishing the idea of having the police interfere. As it seems, they could probably have enjoyed their sport without such interference, the latest police definition of the words "public games" of the statute being regular league games with paid admissions, etc., while free games which are conducted quietly are not in violation of law. The band played at Waikiki, and the aquarium was open to the public. A very large percentage of the town's population spent the day at Waikiki and enjoyed sea bathing and swimming without having the waterfront police descending on them. At Manoa the golfers held forth in great numbers without being molested. It was a general surprise to see the Grill, the Elite, and other such establishments keeping open all the evening, even after the ominous 7 o'clock which the law specifies in the following statute: "No keeper of a victualing house, restaurant, and coffee shop shall keep his house, restaurant, or coffee shop open after 7 o'clock on Sabbath afternoon." The High Sheriff stated this morning that the establishments named as well as several others, including some oriental establishments, held hotel licenses. Such places would be allowed to keep open Sundays. As far as the selling of liquor at hotels was concerned, the High Sheriff stated that the hotels could sell liquor to bona fide guests. Any attempt to evade the law by having people register for the mere purpose of purchasing liquor would, however, be strictly dealt with. "Upon the whole," said the High Sheriff, "I think the enforcing of the Sabbath law is a success. "We did not make a single arrest on that score yesterday. It is true that we had to close up a few places, but these were only few in number, and their owners were perfectly willing to close their stores when they saw that the other storekeepers were compelled to do so. The white merchants are exceedingly satisfied at having the oriental places of business closed. The white stores are closed on Sunday under all circumstances, and when the Orientals were allowed to keep their stores open on Sunday, they were thus given a great advantage, which now no longer exists." This shows that an incentive to Sunday enforcement—the selfish, commercial, competitive desire to stop Sunday selling on the ground that it is unfair and illegitimate competition with those who do not sell—that is becoming increasingly common in continental America is also an incentive, and perhaps the main incentive, in this insular Sunday-enforcement movement.