Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-14
LIBERTY VS.. LICENSE.
m sunday BASEBALL Game Not a
6OOd Thing for SOciefy-Its De
mOFaItzing Effects, etc.

AADAAhA VOC AAOLNDEg
The sunday Baseball Game Not a
GOOD Thing for SOciefy-Its De
mOFaIizing Effects, etc.
In every State in the Union Sunday
laws are in force f~orbidding on Sunday
common labor and traffic, public and
noisy amusements, or whatever is likely
to disturb the quiet and good of the day.
Sunday is a non.legal day, so that ordi-
nary processes Of court are not served,
aud contracts made on Sunday are void,
the courtsa aud legislatures do not sit and
public business is generally suspended.
No u is compelled to celebrate Sunday
in a religious inanner-to 20 to church,
sing psalms, or engage in prayer. In
brief, Sunday is taken out Of the number
Of ordinary week days, and, so far as pos
sible, made free from secular engage.
meats aud disturbances. From the above
reassn Sunday baseball should be pre-.
vented as a nuisance most injurious to
society by the evil effectit produces upon
young minds. The Supreme Court Of
New York, in sustaining one of the Sun
day laws, said: THE act complained
OF here cOmpels 20 religious observance,
aud o%ffenses against it are punishable,
not as sins against God, but as iuju.
rious to and having q malignant in.
luence on society. Not only the
wealthy citizen, but the laboring man
needs rest and recreation" But is a
prize fight or a Sunday baseball contest
recreation2 Iseither a place to which a
workingman would take his wife or fam.
ily2 Let us see What kind Of recreation
is a Sunday baseball match. Eighteen
professional players are engaged to play
with bat and ball. They squat around
the diamond field. run bases, bat the
balls, pitch the balls, and are cheered
whenever one point Or inning is made.
These in attendance as spectators be-
come excited, they are invited to bet on
the result Of the game by the sports,
sharpers and gamblers present. who too
often will know in advance how the game
will terminate. The game, like faro, is
often a brace" game, and not played
on the square. The vulgar mugs" OF
a portion of the visitors tell the tale as
to the character of their possessors.
They are roughs Of every character, as
infamous as the city contains. Their
language is always p%rofane and vulgar,
and their conduct coarse, brutal and die
gushing. Many baseball clubs contain
about as perfect a selection OF roughs as
can well be sharked up in Northern cities.
We must say that the members Of the
Memphis Reds are w~ell-behaved men.
and form a striking contrast to the mem.
bership Of many other clubs. The roughs.
who are always present in force at these
Sunday base ball exhibitions, make them.
selves purposely disagreeable to the re.
spectacle people who may be in attend.
ance. They Gil themselves with liu1or
on the grounds and present a magnificent
example Of blackguardism to the hun.
dreds Of youths Of good parentage and
responsibility who are always present on
such occasions. That this contact has a
bad influence on the youth of Memphis
cannot be denied, The tales told By IA.
theirs and mothers concerning the effect
Of Sunday base ball games upon their
sons is sufficient evidence of this fact.
Boys oon learn to drink, bet money,
curse, use vulgar language, to have no
regard for the female sex, have no re-
spect for the authority of parents, guard.
ians or employers when they are gradu-
ating under the tutulage of the roughs.
We know OF nothing half so d~emorahzing
to the youth Of Memphis as the Sunday
baseball exhibitions given at Central
Park, and certainly the authorities
should take all necessary and legal steps
to abate the nuisance; CT the citizens
should do that which the authorities fail
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