The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-06-12
The Sunday Law.
The Question of tire Heur-Confict Of
Jurisdiction between the Police Jury
and Town COuncil-HOw the Sum
day Law works Elsewhere.

| The Question of the Heur-COnf1ict Of
| Jurisdiction between the Police Jury
and Town Council-How the sun
day Law works Elsewhere.
The paramount subject of discussion
in this vicinity is the Sunday law !,
adopted by the Police Jury, requiring
stores and places of business in this par
| ish to be closed on the Sabbath, with ex-
| ceptions in favor Of hotels, restaurants,
ice cream saloons, barber shops, livery
stables, ETC.; and naturally the feature
| Of the new law which attracts most at
tention and opposition in Donaldsonville,
is the clause extending the operations Of
the ordinance over the corporate limits
Of the town. Although the power Of
Police Juries to enact such ordinances
| and to make them apply to the incorpor-
ated towns and villages of the various
parishes as we'll as the remaining por-
tons Of their territorial jurisdiction, is
expressly conferred by State law, and
although this law has been affirmed by
decision of the Supreme Court, number
Of the merchants and liquor dealers Of
Donaldsonville are determined to resist
| the enforcement Of the ordinance by
legal process. To this end a subscription
list is being circulated, and we hear that
about four-tifths of the $500 required to
employ counsel to represent the resisters
has been subscribed. AS the the ordi-
nance is to take effect from and after the
18th instant, proceedings in the proposed
litigation will soon be inaugurated.
| The Town Council has become in
volved in the matter, and we observe
that members Of this body are among
the most active opponents of the ordi-
nance. At the last meeting of the Coun-
Gil, on the 4th inst, a petition from bust
ness men of the town was received ask
ing the Council to secure the exemption
Of Donaldsonville from the operations Of
the Sunday law. The Council accord
ingly adopted resolutions requesting the
Police Jury to make the desired amend
ment to tho ordinance, and a committee
was appointed to present the memorial
Accordingly, at the session of the Police
Jury held last Tuesday the committee
| was on hand and the communication for
the Council was presented and read and
summarily laid OH the table. Then. in
view Of the apparent and notorious dis
position manifested by interested parties
in Donaldsonvil1e to resist the Sunday
ordinance, the Jury decided to re-enact
the suspended ordinance imposing a par
ish license tax upon all persons pursuing
taxable occupations within the limits of
the town. Thus, both sides seem deter
mined to "carry the war into Africa"
and the prospect is that the contest will
continue until decision on the matter
i'll dispute is rendered by the court of
last resort.
Members Of the Town Council think
that the respectful application to the
Police Jury was treated with fragrant
contumely and disrespect, and they feel
disposed to resent such treatment by
aiding and abetting the opposition to
the Sunday ordinance We agree that
our parish legislators should have dis
played less curtness and more courtesy
towards their conferes of the Council, and
should al least have accorded the me-
spect of an acknowledgment and re-
spouse; and we think that the Police
jury ought to have sought, and should
still seek, the cooperation of the Coun-
Gil i'll enforcing the Sunday law, but we
can not admit that any waut of consid-
Grafton or courtesy OIL the part of the
Jury will Justify the Council in opposing
q measure that is calculated to benefit
the town and its people.
The opponents of the law vigorously
contest the idea that it will benefit the
town. They hold, on the contrary, that
driving trade to neighboring parishes
where no similar law is in force, and
that the patronage which our stores re-
ceiye on Sundays will be almost wholly
lost. The fallacy of these views can
only be successfully eradicated by prac-
teal demonstration, and while we can
cite the experience of other communities
against them, we can not hope to fully
convince the skeptical dissenters of their
error until the opportunity is given to
point out the results of an experiment
made under their very eyes. The same
objections have been urged to the enforce
ment of Sunday laws in other commune
ties, and we have yet to learn of an in
stance where they have been verified
while proof to the contrary is abundant
It is simply idle to assume that the peo-
pie will wear less clothing, consume less
groceries and provisions, or buy less fur
niture, crockery, ETC., because they are
debarred from purchasing them on Sun
day. Those who have been in the habit
Of making their purchases Sunday will
transfer that business to Saturday and
soon learn to like the change; and sc
long as our merchants display their usual
splendid stocks and offer the induce.
ments to customers which have made
them successful in business heretofore
they need have no fear Of buyers forsak
INC the attractions of town for the
blessed privilege of visiting crossroads
i, / :,