Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-09
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Sunday Law,

EDITORS APPEAL-Can we not conduct
our discussion in somewhat different line?
You invite 1.-The people" into your columns.
l accept the invitation. My former letter
you reply ungraciously? l feel a little
wounded. While IN your columns | shall try
to remember that | am your invited guest.
Will you also kindly keep this fact
in mind? Your allowance of space,
while it is scant for my purpose,
is, perhaps, as liberal as | could expect.
The restriction, however, precludes me from
entering the tempting paths of irrelevant Is
sues. | must consider, In this letter, not the
merit or demerit of being in Memphis during
the epidemic, but your first objection to the
Sunday laws: You say "One of the things that
is distasteful about this order is that it cannot
be carried out" Italics mine.) 1t will be
observed that this objection respects the en-
forcement of the law and not the law itself.
But must this enforcement necessarily be so
imperfect as to render the attempt unwise
and even silly? This seems to be the argu-
ment. But those who made the law evident
ly were not of this opinion; nor were their
successors, for the law has never been re-
pealed. Neither is this the view of our city
authorities. Let US clearly understand whose
soundness of Judgment you are here calling
in question. You freely assert this imprac-
ticability of enforcing the law to any consid-
| cradle extent. Butin this matter of opinion,
| you are opposed both to those who made the
law and to those who are now attempting to
execute 1t. And that you are mistaken in
| this case may be made evident by a simple
appeal to facts. What is done can be done,
| and this law Is enforced perhaps as well as
any other. Multitudes of our good citizens
will testify to the unusual order and quiet
ness prevailing on Sunday. 10 the honor of
| our commissioners let the truth be
spoken, that their gratifying success is mani
| fest all over the city. The great mass of our
people, of all classes, have respected the law
| without compulsion. The ladies of one OF
our largest churches offer to sign paper ex
pressing them warmest thanks to our COM
missioners for the quietness now prevailing
| on Beale street alone. Even the few who sc
| desire find that the evasion of this law is not
such an easy matter. Hinc Lachrynae. II
as much business is done now as before, why
| this threatening connection among liquor
dealers? True, the law is not as thoroughly
enforced as the commissioners themselves
might desire. Neither is any other law. But
| 1t is an adage of common sense. Half a LOAF
is better than no bread" Ny allowance Of
! space is nearly exhausted. Let me close by
presenting your reasoning in its logical form
| The argument is this: Any law which cannot
be perfectly enforced should not be enforced
| at all. The Sunday law cannot be perfectly
enforced Therefore, the Sunday law should
not be enforced at all. Is not the cleal
statement of this argument its own bes
! refutation? How many people will admit
your major premise? Admit it, and
it certainly brushes the Sunday
law. But it is equally destructive IF all law.
1t is ike a huge battering- ram, blind anC
unfeeling, which, when propelled with full
swing, brushes down all the walls of human
restraints and leaves society at the mercy o.
all its invading foes. An argument which
| proves so much is a dangerous and destruc
tive engine, and the sooner we abandon il
the better for our suffering city. Of course
you will understand that while holding thest
to be the logical consequences of your reason
ing, I would not represent you as personally