Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-05-24
THE SUNDAY. LAW ANNULLED.

l4.
Court rendered Unconstitutional and
void Act No. 81 Of 1873, which au-
thorizes Police Juries to prevent the
sale Of intoxicating liquors on Sun
days, and delegates to them the pow
er to prosecute for any infractlon
thereof.
The decision was rendered On an
appeal from the District Court of
this parish.
By it's decision, the Supreme Court
sustains the broad principle Of local
self-government and that Of religious
and individual freedom.
No matter what may be said to the
contrary, the religious desire to COM
pei the observance ofthe Sabbath has
been the main prop Of the Sunday
Law.
In sustaining the Supreme Court in
the decision it has rendered, we do
not wish to be understood as favoring
disorder and indecent scenes among
the good people who desire to follow
the dictates of their faith. We believe
that in view of the fact that On the
Sabbath great majority of the peo-
pie of this country go to and from
their places of worship, the local po-
lice authorities should punish, severe
ly, the individuals guilty of improper
conduct, and, ifneed be, withdraw the
license which some keepers of estab-
lishments abuse, by permitting their
customers to misbehave and shock
public decency.
Every right thinking man will sus-
tain the demand upon the local au-
thorities for very strict enforcement,
on Sunday, of the police regulations;
but when the demand goes so far as
to bring about the interference Of an
outside pc yer, such as that of Police
Juries, over constituted authorities of
chartered towns and cities, then such
a demand and such interference must
be considered as oppressive and VIC
lative of the principles Of local self
government and individual, ifnot re-
ligious freedom.
We will not say, either, that the
operations Of the Sunday Law are
not in some respects advantageous
to the general welfare. Itdoes throw
lmpediments in the way of drunkards
and carOusers, who find it more
or less inconvenient to get in at the
back door. But it has the dlsadvan-
tage, too, Of preventing peaceable and
we'll behaved citizens from enjoying
Sunday in what they consider an in
nocent manner, for the reason that
they do not annoy in any way those
who prefer to keep it strictly holy.
In a word it Furnishes the law abid-
ing and well-behayed many to check
the boisterous few.
That is not free government.
We doubt not that if the penalty of
death was dealt out to the man who
gets drunk, or CANDLES, or to the wo-
man who loses her virtue, vice would
hide it's head so that it would scarcely
ever be seen at the surface of society.
Some will argue that the end to be
achieved justifies the means, and that
dragon-headed vice should be fought
with every weapon, no matter how
deadly.
The practice of this idea in the ex-
IRENE, is what is considered tyranny.
Therefore, the governments of to-
day, have endeavored to regulate and
control vice by Furnishing, reasonably,
those only, who are guilty Of commit
ting excuses injurious to the public
welfare.
Baton Rouge is a city with a cos
mopolitan population Of nearly eight
thousand. 1t is the Capital of the
State, and soon persons accustomed
to the freedom of the Crescent City
and the creole parishes, will visit us
on Sunday along with the more OBJ
servant people of Northern and Cen
trail Louisiana.
Of necessity, we must make ours
cosmopolitan city.
While doing so, however, our City