The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-07-18
For the Kenosha Telegraph.
The Sunday Question Again.

lf'. Editor =
If there are a considerable number of in
lividuals who consider it grievance to sup
press card playing and drunkenness on the
Sabbath, they should have the manliness and
to carry their complaints to the pow
ers who have given directions for the suppress
sion of these practices, and not to the officer,
of whom they cannot know with how much
or how little persuasion, or conviction CT du-
ty, he entered upon - temporary discharge of
certain duties.
But it is a usual occurrence fo1 those'who
may be obstructed in vicious practices, wheth-
err it be for larceny, or Sabbath breaking and
drunkenness, to regard the officer as infringing |
upon their personal rights; and instead of
showing the manliness of character to carry |
their con- plants to the individuals who made |
the laws, or to the superior officers who or |
dered their enforcement, they choose to fight
the legal questions growing out of the law, |
with the subordinate officer, who is the mere
machine of that law.
If the editor of the Union, or others, who
feel disposed to find fault with the enforce
ment of that law had looked at the published
proceedings of the city council, they would
have noticed the passage Of a special ordl-
nance for the appointment OF Sunday pollce
for the enforcement of the laws against card
playing and drunkenness on the Sabbath. AS
faithful watchmen on the towers of liberty,
they should have regarded this as the oppor-
tune moment for action.
The temperaments we possess, and the state
of mind we find ourselves to have, are not al
ways matters of human choice, and the editor
of the Union, will have to call upon the wit
ness stand-a Power, higher than human, if
he would ascertain why men are constituted
with diversities of temperaments, and differ
| ent habits of mind.
| Some may feel their moral responsibilities
| impressed upon them, and though this may
not be subject for melancholy, it is a sub
| ect for sober reflection. There may be other
considerations with some to impose melan-
| choly tiDge to character, which it might not
be proper to introduce to the notice of the
public.
So far as relates TO the charge of indiscre-
tion, it must be admitted that it was a waste of
time, if not an indiscretion, to argue ques-
tions of morality with gathering Of saloon
| keepers. But as whatever was done at the
period alluded to had been previously concert
ed at the back doors of two proximate saloons,
the undersigned understood perfectly well the
iopportune moment at which 10 commit the
lindiscretion.
i 1t may be considered in short, that all tenn
perments that interpose against free license
to drunkenness on the Sabbath are objectiona-
BILE, and all words spoken against the tratic IN
intoxicating liquors are indiscretions.
There are circumstances arising out of the
enforcement of the law against saloon keepers
plying their vocations on the Sabbath that
, the editor Of the Union has not had the oppor-
tunity of comprehending. A small portion OF
them do not wish to keep their saloons open
upon the Sabbath, and such are anxious the
: law should be enforced, thus affording them
, an opportunity to close on that day without
fhai,. ,Nt1tl
their proportionate share of business. Another
| portion yield to the law reluctantly, but III
sist if they comply faithfully with the law, its
observance shall be made uniform, without
partiality or favor to any.
They look at this question not in moral
but in a business point of view, and say if they
are precluded from selling on the Sabbath and
less prlncpalled men are allowed to supply
their usual customers, they loose their bust
ness and patronage altogether. The under
, signed promised such that if he should fail in
Il uniform enforcement of the law, he would
Immediately notify them and remove the bar
S of restriction Most any one can comprehend
after this explanation, that a more than ordi
nary surveillance was required in the case q
those who manifested determination to clan
: destinely or otherwise, evade the law.
I The undersigned regarded the report of hi
doings a matter wholly between the mayor
and council and himself, and their action il
the matter as resting between themselves ant
e the public; and it was not his purpose to dC
anything more than make a conscientious re
port Of what related to his duties. II he cOult
have felt at liberty to step aside from the pro
C pretleS OF such report, wish would have
! been expressed that the money paid for licen
ses, coming into the city treasury freighteC
i with the cries of hungry children, might b,
# kept separate in the public treasury and dc
voted to the purchase of a "potters field"
Numerous incidents which game under thu
notice of the undersigned during the day, i
e they had been reported, would no doubt hav
E directed the attention of the public in a NOR
q these incidents, though they might hav
d shown the city authorities the beneficial ei
fects that would belikely to accrue from adu
= enforcement ofthe law, were puTposely omit
/ ted, as not strictly pertaining to the duties o
o such report.
G On the young in particular open card play
ing, profanity and drunkenness on the Sab
bath, has damaging influence, and many pa
e rents who are quietly at their homes, if the,
v were made personal witnesses of the iutluenc
g which surrounded their children from thes
u sources, would find forcible illustration o
j the fact, that "while the husbandman slep
Il the enemy sowed tares."
witnessing upon that holy day the bias
$ phemies, cursings and oaths, which are tn
!, usual comcomitants of drunkenness in thes
saloons, they might well imagine that hell 70
j., once had approached the threshold Of human
u habitatiOns.
j If portion of the community regard it
duty to interpose against the enforcement o
the law in question, they might well compre
: bend that there are others in the communit,
}. who see their duties in another direction ant
4 Joined to impressions of duty they cannot un
o derstand what influences even outside thu
4 city authorities may have induced the under
+ signed to take upon himself temporarily, and
n in some respects an undesirable task. Unde
l sirable not because it is not honorable to at
i tempt the enforcement of the law, but be
+ cause the agent who performs the duty, ha
j to run against the oyerpowering appetites o
: one class, and the vicious principles ofanother
. The law stands plain upon the statute books
e and in the ordinances ofthe city and it knock
i at the doors of the regularly constituted Off
/ GERS for its enforcement. 1t is not for th
q undersigned to determine what christianit,
/ and civilization demands in the premises.
+ WALLACE MYGATT.