St. Landry democrat., 1878-02-09
The Sunday Law.

On the 1st Sunday of last November
the ordinance of the Police Jury clos
ing all places of business on Sundays
and keeping them closed during the
entire day, because a law throughout
the parish. The town councils of Ope-
lousas. Washington, Grand Coteau and
Arnaudville adopted the ordinance
simultaneously with the Police Jury,
and thus for the first time in our his
tory St. Landry had Sunday law.
We have been close observers of its
workings and we unhesitatingly en-
dorse and approve it as one of the best
laws on the statute book. In the coun-
try its effects have been most beneti-
cial. Heretofore planters found it all
but impossible to get their employees
to work Oh Saturdays anyhow. They
would come to town, and spend Satur-
day in a general debauch, and were but
illv prepared to go to work on Monday.
Now they spend Saturday in town.
There is no inducement for them to re-
main over till Sunday, so they go home
Saturday evening and on Monday are
rested and prepared to go to work. A
man may ride over our public highways
all Sunday now and not meet drunken
man. Six months ago he would have
meet them by the dozen, even between
this point and Washington, screaming,
wbooping, cursing, yelling and running
races. endangering the vehicle life and
limb of the quiet traveller. In Opelou-
sas the effect of this ordinance has been
marked indeed. Previous to its adop-
tion our streets were filled every Sun
,lay with promiscuous crowd of idlers,
loafers and tradess some buying; some
selling: some getting drunk and Great
ing almost a pandemOnium by their
wells and screams. Of all days it was
the busiest and required the most active
and unceasing vigilance on the part
If our town constable to prevent viola
ions of our town ordinances. But what
a change this ordinance has produced !!
There are no crowds OF loafers ami
idlers hanging about the streets, n"
buying, no selling, no getting drunk,
no rows, no arrest, no work for the con-
stable. Nor has this change affected
business in Opelousas the least. Our
commercial houses are doing just as
heavy a business as they did before the
ordinance went into effect. People,
both black and white, from the country.
instead of coming to town on Sundays,
come in and transact their business on
hence Sunday is now what
christian dispensation intended it to be.
u day of rest. Nor Goes the present Or
tinance intend to effect it further than
this. 1t has no smack of the Old
blue lands of Connecticut about it, as
some of our contemporaries seemed to
think at the time of it's adoption. 1t
forces no man to any peculiar obser-
vance of the Sabbath. 1t merely sus-
pends business that day, and then leaves
every man to spend the day as he sees
ft and proper. II he desires so to d"
he can go to the house Of God and spend
the day in humiliation and prayer or he
can take his gun and dog and spend the
day in hunting on the prairie. What
ever he does, the law does not, nor can
not touch him, unless he opens his
place of business, either to buy or sell
or give away. The effect of such an
ordinance, as matter of course, could
he but beneficial in any community.
Here it is heartily acquiesced in and we
have yet to hear of the first violation OF
it. There are few diseontented spirits
who complain Of the effects of the law,
and seem to consider it in the light of
an abridgement Of their personal liberty;
but we must confess we can't see the
point, and we think niue -tenths the in
,abitants Of the parish, will agree with
US. Our present Police Jury ard Town
Council, in our opinion it they had done
nothing else to entitle them TO public
appreciation, could safely rely on the
fact alone, that they had given us a
\ a