Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-02-28
The Proposed Sunday Law.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, Feb. IS, 1881,

10 the EDITOR OF TIC Alexandria GQ-tttc:
My letter to tho Committee Oh General Laws,
published 10 Tho Gsz,tte OF the 10Th Instant,
sta'icg mY views 90 the proposed Sunday law.
and which | au glad to say has met With the
approval 0; large numb,r OF our clt'z ,ns. was
treating this matttr merely according to its
merits. but as MIR. Boyle has deemed it proper at
the meeting Of that committee. and through your
valuable paper Of the 26sh ipst., not only 10 at.
tack the Germans ns GLASS, but 10 reply to my
argument to make several statements that can't
be sustained BY facts, l. consider it my duty 10
1s.ica 10 tbs csss of citizens he attacked, to
gay the following:
g. l. lilo claimed to represent ovcr 500 men of
the Reform Club. which is not so, for am re-
liably Informed, that this Club hardly numbers
500 members 10 good standing. aud many of
these are opposed to his action 10 this matter
and therefore he can't claim to represent them.
=. lie Claimed 10 committee that be was being
backed by Dioe -tcnths of our people, which is not
so, for, as already stated 10 my former letter,
tho reason former Sunday laws have proved 10
BIO failure, is because they were rot sustain
cd by public opinion; had they been they
would not have boen repealed by tho Legisla-
ture.
5. He said 10 committee that my assertion
that tho city was mere orderly since the repeal Of
laid Law, could moro easily BIO made than
proven. |. therefore, refer him 10 our police
record, which will show tfat there we're fewer
arrests during tho last six months, on Sundays.
than tboro were during any period when tho law
was in force.
4. lie referred to the glorious effect of local
option 10 Mano, aud cited liz is hardly believ.
able that Slate as sample of morality, and
attempted to provo bis assertion by what be
called statistical figures, and all this in the face
Of tho official statistics, published in the Now
York Sun of the l4;h inst, sigued ty the
chairman of the Board of Inspectors, Colonel
Porter. and proving that since the introduction
of l.. o, in 1851 high wines of all kinds have
Increased on an average of 374 per cent; vines
agslos. morality 500 per cent, and divorces,
hardly kuowo tier, have increased to the nums
Der OF 40 per anDnun. BY what authority,
therefore, MIR. Boy l., calls these figures iucor-
rect, don'e krow.
5. ito further stated 10 committee he intord
ed 10 elevate tho morals fthe people by bis pre-.
pissed liw, and offers nducement 10 the inform.
or upon tho ground that to use bil owa words
only men mean enough to drink are mean
enough to report violation OF such law; but,
right on the back OF this no threatened, should
he rc,eed 10 his attempt, to appoint commit
tees 10 the Reform Club 10 70 around, mix in
With these crowds and renort violations. "Cou.
sistercy thou SIT jewel" Therefore the stik
lng cut OF tie clause offereg Inducements to tho
lnloruers would not, wat ho terms, "cmascu.
lnts" tho bill.
g. lilo said 10 committee tc wa, glad to live
10 christian country. which did not allow the
small torelgo clement, which l represented. to
GermaEIz, 1t. and spoke Of tho Germans as b.
lng 10 opposition to the better clssms, and
hereby proved himself narrow minded kuow
no,hlns, ignoring the fact that tho present
development and success OF this great and free
country Is aa much due to tho German element
IS aly other; that they are among its most law
abiding cltz'ns. The statistics Of Maine do also
prove that out Of 1919 felons con6ued 10 the
Stale prl:on only is arc natives OF Europe; l23
wero born 10 Maine.
T. He accuses them further Of not being in
favor OF the ssnctitp Of the LorG's day, and 10
doing so, he says what is not 20. [ do admit
| that they have different opinion of obserVioc
tho Sabbath from what he has, but, notwith-
! standing their exceedingly small number in
Alexandria, they have built themselves church
aud emf loycd a regular clergyman. As class
they claim tho right guaranteed 70 them BY the
U. 5. Constitution and fundamental law of
VirRiOla, TO worship thoir God according to the
dctatcstt their conscience, as they pleased, not,
| outstanding tho attacks of pharisees of the
class OF Mr. w. X. Boyle; for if it was left to
! him, religious federation would be matter of
the past IN this groat country. Had no rot 1t.
tempted by biz undignled behavior to buldcze
our Cl!y Cou1cil into measure to suit himself
by seating himself among the members of that
BODY during It's sessions, thus violating its ruler,
and attempting to forca tho passage Of his bill,
ne might have succeeded in passing reasonable
bill long ago. Had no. rs o minister of the cos-
pei, studied St. Matthew. chapter xii, where he
speaks of the breach of tho Sabbath by Phsri.
seeS and chapter xiii, also st. Mark, chapter
VII verso 10, where ho says: Nothing entering
into man deaes him, but things coming out
arc tho ones which dehle men !" and also St.
John, chapter ii, describing tho marriage at
Cana, he mover would have undertaken what he
| did. 49,
| In conclusion have to say that shall ro.
take any notice of further attacks.
Louis KRAEpT