p. 6 | SUNDAY ENFORCEMENT

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 31, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 22.

SUNDAY ENFORCEMENT.

The New Orleans States, of April 16, says, "The Sunday law is being enforced rigidly; two violators are under indictment, one from Morgan City and one from Franklin." A despatch from Napoleonville, La., of April 18, says that "about fifty storekeepers pleaded guilty to violating the Sunday law, and were fined $25 for each violation."

The Great Falls, Mont., Leader, says: "Up in Calgary efforts are being made to put an end to Sunday baseball. The ministers have taken up the matter, and asked for help in carrying out the proposed cutting off of Sunday games."

Inasmuch as the church-and-state principle introduced the observance of Sunday into the church, and the Papacy is also the product of that principle, the two products should go together. And as the Papacy claims that Sunday observance is the special badge of its authority, which mark is also recognized by nominal Protestants, it is logical that such "Protestants" should note Rome's lead in the matter of observing her own institution. It is important, then, that they note that "the Catholic churches of Brooklyn, N. Y., are to have a Sunday baseball league. Ten churches have joined the league, and games are to be played on Sunday afternoons. Each of the churches is to have a representative team." So says a current press item, and it is safe to predict that there will be no arrests at any of these games.

A Washington, D. C., correspondent says: "By a vote of sixty-six to thirty-four the Baltimore Conference of the M. E. Church, recently in session in this city, instructed its committee on Sunday observance to incorporate in its report instructions to ministers not to contribute sermons or Sunday-school lessons to Sunday newspapers." So they complain of the bad influence of the Sunday papers, but will not contribute anything for the good of the readers when they have opportunity.

As the result of a long suit, a permanent injunction against Sunday baseball games at Eastern League Park, Bayonne, N. J., has been granted by Vice-chancellor Pitney, at Newark.

The mayor of Fairmont, W. Va., has issued orders to the chief of police that positively no business shall be done in cigar stores, saloons, barber shops, or news stands on Sunday. The mayor has been severely censured for allowing violations of the Sunday-closing law, and he has decided to put a stop to them.

A correspondent writes: "As an instance of the recent revival of Sunday work in New York, the Hippodrome Building is in evidence. Here the police recently sought in vain to interfere with carpenters and builders. No doubt the 'Sabbath Committee' feels a little chagrined over this matter of Sunday work on the Hippodrome Building; for, on

its demand, a company of policemen were sent, one Sunday, to prevent, and stop the work; but, though they went early, and hung around all day, they did not succeed in either stopping the work or in making any arrests. Interior work on the building was being done, and the workmen, quite a company of them, were inside, while the policemen were outside, and the doors were kept locked. The work went on merrily, while the policemen kept watch outside, not daring to break in the doors. The officers were finally withdrawn in the afternoon. Yes, 'the issue is simple.' It is, Shall the religious Sunday be preserved by law and the policeman's club, or shall it not? There is but one right side to this issue, and it is most decidedly that the religious Sunday shall not be preserved by law and the policeman's club. If the religious Sunday can not be preserved otherwise, then it will have to go."

The enforcement of the Sunday-closing ordinance was recently inaugurated at Monroe, Mich. The Sunday-closing was strictly observed at Crookston, Minn., April 17. Sunday-closing was successful in a recent municipal election in Carterville, Ill. Municipal officers have been elected in Breckenridge, Minn., who are pledged to Sunday-closing. The mayors of Ortonville and Perham, Minn., and Marion, Ind., have issued imperative orders for Sunday-closing of business.

The Hutchinson (Minn.) Times says: "The saloon-keepers have agreed with the village council to close their saloons on Sunday during church hours—from 10 o'clock to 11:30 A. M., and after 7 o'clock P. M." The mayor of St. Cloud, Minn., has issued an order that "hereafter all the saloons in the city will be closed from 10 o'clock Sunday morning until noon, or, in other words, during the hours of divine service." The mayor has just entered upon his office.

The chief of police of Newark, N. J., was recently directed by the commissioner of police to see that no further violations of the law occur at the Vailsburg bicycle track on Sunday. There will be no more Sunday races there. Vailsburg was recently annexed to Newark.

District Attorney Jerome, of New York, says that the police captains of New York get $5.00 a month from every saloon-keeper to see that the Sunday excise law is not enforced. Mr. Jerome declares that the law can not be enforced, and that therefore the only way to stop this "graft" and corruption is to so change the Sunday excise law as to make it legal for the saloons to open a portion of the day on Sunday.

At a meeting of the Retail Grocers' Association of Minneapolis, Minn., on April 17, it was "decided to take action to secure the closing of all groceries on Sunday." To this end the co-operation of all grocers was asked. "Most of the grocers keep their stores closed all day Sunday, but there are some, in different parts of the city, who open for a part of the day, and it is these men whose co-operation the association will endeavor to secure."

An ordinance "making it illegal to open grocery stores and meat markets, and stopping most work and hauling, on Sunday," was recently introduced into the city council of Denver, Colo., at the request of "a large number of citizens" who claim that the keeping open of stores and doing work of different kinds on Sunday has been increasing for the last two years in that city. The ordinance was referred to a committee, and a public hearing upon it appointed. It is said that "the ordinance will have the united support of the civic, business, and labor organizations."

At a meeting of the city council at Ottumwa, Iowa, on March 6, a resolution was adopted "instructing the mayor to take what action is necessary to stop shows being given at the Turner Opera House on Sunday evening, and at the Grand Opera House Sunday afternoon and evening, provided the performances are contrary to the city ordinance."

This action followed a report on the subject by the chairman of the police committee, and a discussion thereon. "While saying nothing derogatory to the performances" at the two opera houses, the chairman of the police committee "believed that it was not the proper observance of the Sabbath, and recommended that the mayor take such action as was necessary to stop the Sunday shows." Two of the aldermen expressed themselves as being "in favor of enforcing the law regarding Sunday shows, or else amending the ordinance so as to make them lawful." Whereupon "the mayor stated that he understood that the shows being conducted were lawful according to the ordinance." "There was considerable discussion on this point," resulting in "the recommendation to have the mayor stop the shows if they were contrary to the ordinance."

"The obliteration of the Godless Sunday from society," is the object of a league in process of formation by the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the English Church. "The association is to consist exclusively of matrons of the higher circles of society, and Lady Wimborne is to be president. Cold dinners will be one of the rules insisted upon."

"The blue laws which went into effect here Sunday are the strictest that have been passed in this village for some time," said the St. Clairsville (Ohio) Gazette, on March 24. "Under them, all stores must be closed the entire day on Sunday, drug stores being alone excepted. Meat shops may be open from 7 to 9, and restaurants the entire day, but nothing but eatables are to be disposed of."