The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-26
More About the Sunday Laws.

Editors Dispatch: In my letter upon
this subject, published in the Dispatch last
Friday, referred to the special enactments
OF the State and the city, which noao our
criminal Judge and Police Justice have de-
termned to execute TO the letter., and with
out, respectfully suggest, due regard to
the purpose and intent Of them. propose
now to trace back these laws to their origin
in Virginia legislation.
AS to the act by which the sale Of intoX-
icating drinks, referred to in section 10 OF
chapter OF the Criminal Procedure act, it
was first enacted and approved on the 9th
OF March, 1874. 1t has been in existence
over four years, and during that time our
late distinguished, conscientious, deter
mined Judge-A. B. Guigon-who certainly
never shrank from the enforcement OF the
criminal laws against any offender, did not
think 1t his duty vigorously to execute it,
but rather supposed any violation OF, it
would come under the jurisdiction Of the
Police Justice by virtue Of the proyiso and
ordinance referred to- in my first letter.
This latter officer has certainly, so far at least
as my observation and Information go, suffer-
ed iniractions of the ordinance (and every
body knows there have been hundreds OF
them, under a literal Interpretation OF it)
to remain uneXamined into and unpunished
to the present time. That ordinance was
passed on the 23d OF March, 1874. iustse
teen days after theapproval Of the act above
referred to, and was evidently intended by
the City Council rs a substitute for the said
act. II this be so, the Police Justice can
only punish EquoT-dedlers who do not Eeep
their bars or other places of'business III they
are not bar-keepers) closed during the whole
Of Sunday. There is no statute requiring
anu other Kind Of dealer to keep his place Of
business closed during Sunday; although
from custom, arising out OF the respect
which the people have for the Sabbath and
the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, they
generally do close their places Of business
on that day. This Is the strongest proof Of
the general, right moral tendencies OF our
population, and shows that it does not re-
quire the restraints of law to make them do
what, in their consciences, they believe to
be right. Now, the thirteenth section Of the
Criminal Procedure act does atix. penalty
on any person who may be found laboring
at any trade or calling on The. sabbath, &c.
Hence, while anybody (other than liquor
dealer) may keep open his place OF business
on Sunday, he cannot sell anything on that
day. But il he does keep his place open it
will be likely to subject him to the vista
tions OF the police and citation to appear
before the Police Justice, in whose court, l
oplne, the fact of Keeping openwill be taken
as corroboratiye proof OF selling. Your
correspondent g Yirginian, = whom thank
for his complimentary criticisms upon my
first letter, viii thus lind an answer to his
supposed question. TLis 18th section is
older than the other law. 1t may be found
In, the Code of 1873, Of 1860, and Of 1919;
onH IN sll thaS time there have not been
many instances where violatorS OF its pro-
visions have been summoned before judi
cial tribunals to be examined and punished.
] venture to assert that within the last
twenty days there have been before the
courts OF This city more cases OF this sort
than there have been during twenty years
before that time. There Z is another law,
which is q Sunday law aud an everyday
dav law. too, which has been on i the
statute-books Since 1919, to which I
will call attention, as strict construction
and stern, rigid execution is the order OF
the day. 1t may be found on page 1909 OF
the Code, section Ie, and is as follows: 6 II
any person arrived at the age OF discretion
proianely curse or swear, or get drunk. he
Shall be fined by justice one dollar for
each offence. When such laws as these,
which affect the personal rights and habits
OF the people, haye been permitted By our
magtsaEates Tor so many years TO go unexe-
euted, 1t Is very natural for our citizens TO
be astonished, Rnd to wonder why our pres
ent judicial officers should he SO anxious to
have them enforced now. Andf without
intending OIastach any blame to them Tor
this sudden illumination as to theit duty or
to cast any reflection upon the purity Of