The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-28

tneir own limits. Iney are not called upon
to enforce any state law, have no
authority or power to do so. Being but
creatures ofthe state government they can.
not, Of course, enact or enforce Ordinances
In conflict with any state law, but the failure
to adopt every state law laid down in the
penal code, under the head Of misdemeanors,
as far as a municipal government can 60, Is
not dereliction Of its duty under its
charter. Suppose Dallas had no Sunday
law at all That omission would not, in the
least affect the operation of the state law
within the corporate limits Of Dallas. Sup
pose Dallas had Sunday ordinance rsquir-
ing all places of business 10 its limits to be
closed only between the hours Of o'clock a.
m. and o'clock p. MI Such an ordinance
would not estop the state law
between those hours. Violstors Of city ordi
nsnces are only torts, quasi misdemeanors,
ard the city government by its legislative
body. the city council, alone has the right
and authority to declare under its charter
what do and what do not constitute torts,
and if the city council OF the city of Dallas,
IN its wisdom, In its concern for tho welfare
and tie prosperity Of the city and tho hspi.
ness of he people, desm that it is injadlcious
and impoli,ic to enact and enforce Sund'
law save from the hour OF o'clock a. m.
the hour of 1 o'clock q. IN. on Sunday, it ba
right to do so, leaving 1t to the state to c.,
force its own law. Dallas has only her own
interests to look after, not tho states. She
is now growing and prosperous
city, looking forward to a
brilliant future and sho cannot afford TO
adopt any ordinances, to pursue any policy
tina. will have tendency to injure her
present condition or mar her future. Viii
rigid sumptuary laws have that tendency is
the question. viii a city Sunday law tina.
closes every house of business save the drug
stores which can sell only medicine, within
the city limits, and every place of resort for
innocent recreation and amusement, for
twenty-lour hours, when in other towns and
cities no such city ordinance prevails, have
a tendency to irjure the city, to keep the
people away from 1t and make many of
those leave? If tho state Sunday law is
irksome and distasteful to large class
Of good citizens, would not II
city Sunday . law Identical with
il DO more so? If the state canno! BY legis,
ls,ion make its citizens long faced, make
thom observe only religious ceremonies on
Sundsy, make them believe that Sunday ia u
day only for religious Observance 8, can cit,
ordinahce accompli.N i? There are thou.
sands Of just as good people as ever lived
who earnestly and conscentlously believe
that social gatherings, that the drinking of
bottle of VIM, tn playing of u gsme OF
cards, the attendance upon a concert or II
picnic in the woods Or an excursion by rail
or water, is neither immoral or sinful, and
why should they in this FREQ land of ours BIZ
dobarred from this privilege SO long ms they
do not infringe upon the rights and priv,
leges of Others. Christ plucked the cars OF
corn on the Sabbath and ate them, ard why
should not the baker make and sell his bread |
Christ said it n man had sheep in nit on
the Sabbath that it WAS his duty to get it |
out, and why should any human law gainssy
the principle of tina divine rjincliong