The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1877-11-10
Communicated
The sunday Eaw.

dShCt W pttSN on oi'i'iioiitS pun
Sunday traffic. The move
is an excellent one, and We are
confident that it meets with the
appreciation ct fully nine. tenths
OF the good people OF this paris,s.
Here, in Th!bodauX, some pub
lie spirited merchants have al
ready set the example of closing
their places Of business. They de-
serve, and should receive the
highest commentators for their
enlightened spirit. We have yet
to learn that their material inte-
tests have suffered in consequent
e. True it is that even in tempo
raj matters, "viltue is Its own re
ward.
1t would be easy to construct
an argument showing tile Iaty
of all Christians 10 abstain from
seryi!e labor one day in seven.
But there is nuestablished church
in this country. and such an az
gument would not be proper to
address to political body such
as the Police Jury, which deals
only with the temporal ente, estS.
of the community.
The strongest argument urged
by the opponents of the Sunday
Law is that such Il law would
tend to abridge the liberty Of the
citizen. This argument is based
upon the assumption that ii man
can do whatever he pleases, I'M
fet,ered by restraint. But this is
not liberty ; it is license, which
is a far different thing. We are
not at liberty to do whatever we
please when our actions tend to
violate good morals and are
hultiu! to our neighbor. Has not
the iaw-maker provided that no
one should cary concealed wea-
pOns. ibat no one should .respasS
upon The property OF another,
nay, is it not notorious fact
thai the law has stamped with
nulliy any con'tact entered into
on Sunday, and o, dained that
thtdO0rOt .Jo CONF, room SHALL be
closed to all desiiouS of seeking
Il redress Of grievances on Sun.
day :? Are not these law in dpro-
CATION of the 'ibel,y OF the citi>
zen 7 And yet, no one ever eX.
claims against them. On the con
uary, any legislator who w.nlt
be bold enough to suggest even
that conrts sboaId SIT GU Sunday
for the tianSac. ion OF business
would it be looked upon as d
madmau or an atheist. Such ;
suggestion would shock tue M
rai sensibilities of the entire pc,
pie OF tie State. Aud Yet, wua'
is the di1eren"ew principle ha'
tween auying ana selling on .3,;i
T day, aud keeping courts open on
that'lay sEviIently there is none
Since &c Opponents o. Sunday
closing have urged the argdmenr
that it would be against iniivi
dual l'hei'y Of action, we wonI,
like to inquire four women IN,
children who do not frequent cot
tee-hopSes on Sunday, have liz
rights which are entitled 10 pro
lection. Must their chaste ears bt
assaulted nS drunken Shouts ant
coase and r,bald language whes
ever they emerge from their res
dences Should they not he qua
ranteed in their liberty, of prom,
nading The public streets when
ever INCLINATION prompts them, o
must their liberty consist in avoii
ing certain streets where the AL
vocates OF Sunday opening MAX,
the air vocal with their yeiIs ant
hootings aud prOfane language
Is rot their Iibe, ty now striousl,
lllpap ed =
Again. Those who Keep one,
OH Sunday mist needs have as
s~lstance in carrying on their bust
ness. Their clerks and employee!
are therefore compelled unde
pain OF dismissal to yield their re
luctant services. Alter workin.
hard all the week, they bave no
the poor consolation of restin.
from their labors on Sunday
, From the constant and unnatuya
t drudgery to which they are sub
Jected they gradually becom,
| callOns to the beautiful influence
7 OF Sunday. They get to the pojuI
f OF looking upon their work as
burden-their heart is not 10 villa
. they do. Their lot is worse j,
t some respects,than that of slave
before the war. Then, a maste
found 1t to his interest to worI
1 his hands only from sunrise t,
SUNSET. and Sunday was Away
a holiday Oh The plantation. Clerk
on the other hand have to tot
. from early morning till late IA
nI,rit ,,,I H.