The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-09
INEEEICIENr sUNpAY Laws.
Fearful Dissertation Of the Lords Dav In
Philadelphia.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: so
your courts have decided that the law pro-
limiting Sunday tbcatrlcals Is constitutional;
so we provncials may, presume, understand
1t will be no use looking for any more such
wickedness when we come to the metropolis.
There Ia law like yours In PHILADELPHIA and
doubtless Just as constitutional. but some OF
It's workings are very curious. Down town. OF
Their la the centre Of the city, here are no
Sunday entertainments, and 1t Is only within the
past few months that even SUNDAY lectures nave
been at emptcd.
year or two ago Instrumental and vocal con
certs were tried, but the morality ~ the authori-
ties was shocked and thew interfered. They
have never since been dared. Up town, on
Third and Caowhill streets. there ut least
three places where Sunday night entertain
monts are regularly Given-theatrical and varie-
ty. They have been IN operation for years and
have never, that know ~, been disturbed. In
two OF them reer and liquor are openly sold
they are to be bad 10y going down
stairs INTO the bar room, shout the
tabIsnmeuts are supported In good part by the
Germans but nre well attended 10y our own
people. There Ia no difference between the
week dav and the sunday pc formances. save
that those OF Sunday are, " anything. more
varied They are gwen with full orchestra and
operate, dramatic, aud variety companies.
In one Of them a placard on the sttge read
mo applause on Sunday nights. hut little At
tention - raid TO IT, and II serves mainly 70 bu-
vertise during tho week the SUNDAY perform
ances. no noiee OF applause certainly could
not be objected TO. when the music anu singing
can he plainly heard ~ the street.
These saloons are very large, and are nightly
| nlled. There Ia SELDOM any disturbance. and
they are freduented ny respectable Germans.
with their families Tnere galleries for les
| DANES scid. some hing rather necessary. cpnsid
eriDg the sort Of women who ~ great cities Will
| go at night to such places Of amusement unao.
| cumpanied iherc ARE. tOu, II Il sad, ways
aud means for gentlemen alone reaching these
received qIHrters
A. one time sunday night shows we're also TO
| he seen at tue large saloon on Vine street at
seventh, but this was enectualV closed. During
one OF the charges upon tne breakers Ofthe sun
day law, at The Vino street house they feared to
| play. but solo beer no spirits without conceal
! ment, while on Third street they sold no beer
openly, but continued the perform. nee as usual.
! The establisnnl ents advertise their sunday en-
terta,nment IN the German newspapers. some
| of tue places nave billiard nails attacned. which
| are better patruuized on sunday than ny other
time. Indeed, a large nimber ~ our billiard
halls here, down town, have their regular sunday
As To the SUNDAY IAquor law there IL no longer
any pretencc OF it, enforcement. In fact, II has
phia Every now aud then tney make what Ia
! called determined EFFORT tut II amounts to
| nothing. They did usetO close the saloons on
! election day, tut they were open III November.
| Once "A sort Of compromise was agreed upon
that the front door should be shut, but hat Is
followed no more. ! doubt very much II there
IL one saloon out OF every hundred In the city
which does not sell on sunday
Puiladelunla has not Vet tfled the new Ork
plan OF commencing sunday night enter
iainments at IL. ESQ not to inter tefe With tue
SUNDAY law" IL would seem that opening al
such Nh bour, even though there was a prelude
uf sacred concc T." would he vastly more
dangerous than beginning at :, IA during tive
week, Tor wOuId IL not attract the very
worst elements Of the city2 IL looks to me a. II
II was Deary time The church accepted AS
truth that he people Will nave amusement on
SUI day. aud set about rruvidtng II ITSELF. Here
IA nm excellent chance for our Young Men'i
Christi n Association, whiCn J. just con Dletihl
its IN gnlncent building al Fittee tn street and
Chestnut. IL Is to nave dne b II, anu would
do uuch good 10y opening IL for rational enter
tainmeut- sunday ntghts.
Inc religious HentlCinon who wanted to close
the " LpO' on sumo ~ ANA have JUS succeeded II
stopping the Park tlev itpr from going nm ur Ais
on that day. are much ext tied lest the Centen
uin Exhibition VIII he open SUNDAY. We
and the suggestion OF having n exhibited OF tina
DAY must much concern not only us, Dut AL wh'
intend e. visit u. IL T. proposed now To clusc "a
4. NJ. each dav. and N ~ Is closed on sunday AZ
q v, when are tue working "a IS To see II Z Tia
religious press demand mat the doors be saul
bat not a secular journal in h. country has don
so, and very many OF them Including nearly Al
In thc CITY. have spoken with common sense oi
the subject. There ~ "a good argument morally
too, ia support OF Tho Opening. " tue thousand
OF strangers cannot 20 To the ex tbiiion Oh sun
| day. will they not tie likely to ~ to much wors
ri .cess ai.ny Of theul Will not attend churci
! and those VINO do cannot be expected 10 81 A
there all day.
Philadclpnis will certainly accommodate any
, BODY with pleasure OF various KINDS. but not al
/ together ton Sunuay) Of tae order these unth'nA
. inc disciples of ..OOUy auu = nkFY would recon
mend. hr best ri would ne To maze Sundh
people's day, anu charge uatf admission pfice
PHILADELPHIA, Jan 4, 1876. j. ". r., Jr.