Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-08-04
THE SUNDAY LAW.
Letter From Gov. Crittenden. with
His Views at Some Length, Ass
He Declares for the enforcement
Of she General sunday Law. e.,

ToJ. b. Naylor-My Desr Sir: l am in re-
celpt of your letter Of the 18th, IN whichyou ask
First-csn the sunday. lew be enforced In st.
isecond-will the police force arrest vfolators
or a,tempt TO bring them before the coprts?. i
Third-Wfil the courts charge the grandjurors
iFourth-Will the grnndjurles lndict offenders2
.EInn-Will a trial jury convicron evidencea
The first five Of the questions answer in the
court. the grand and peiit-Jarles viii DO their
whole duty under The law. In saying the 'spo.
sioners and ali usdsr1 ~ their control ne not
becoming in me TO answer the alxth question: -
that would be an anticipated failure upon the
perform their several legal Obligations. I can
conceive of no such derelictions upon the part OF
ss oSs.a
aissins snswered s @ your question. In the siarm-
sss e sl%sss e Sssssss; So ai.sassscn saS
- 0w8 Mn. peplc deeply 10.
a,selyss .se s,s;s q srss. e..
strainDg great evil. It is diniout Vt all times.
even under ordinary circumstances. to execute
q Law somewhat in conflict with, tue views OF 3
portion of a cummuniJy, especially one SO long
ignored that il had come to. be- regarded as
tscitly repealed. and 1t becomes that much more
declares that IAN attempt to permanently close
the drinking places in st. LOUIS. and prevent
the sale OF liquor, wine and beer on Sunday.
the wisdom OF the law: 1t IL not Tor the law ofi-
cers 10 discuss its feasibility Its policy Its prac
ticsbiiity. its applicability to the times and
people of this, state. 1t is enough for US TO
know that 1t is the law from beginning to end;
It is not, therefore, within our province to de-
termine which of its provisions shall be txecu-
| ted and which shall be ignored. II that power
were placed in our hands We would then be the
state, and soon assume to ourselves other and
more dangerous prerogatives, which would in
T. dpnRefOu6 tn n
Madison said: ''No law Gao be set ct naught
by the ruler or citizen without danger.''
I concede that custom has given q long and
undisturbed ep0se TO certain statutes In conflict
with the habits Of an industrious and thrifty
wh s
nave with becoming conduct. But even If this
is true, should the officers shut Their eyes TO the
new departnre in this state; new falmination
BY the legislature on the subject. and is assert,
| the adoption of more rigid policy than previ-
ofthe Sunday law If taken in connection with
l its associate sections in the new law. III am
right IN the above expression, then. hold
| that the reafiirmation of the old Sunday clause
| in the Downing bill is an emphatic declaration
by recent Legislature, fully acquainted with
certain cities. that it regarded that 6ill with ali
it's sections, to be operative over all classes. on
| all days, and however much many may disseat
from the law, still it is the law, and all should
submit to Its requirements until repealed. Amy
other course will make the individual the arbiter
Of the law not lts seEvitoE, and 1one can set M q
Of its parts, why may notanother and another do
the same thing toward some other obnoxious law
! which IN the end would lead to anarchy. l adj
mit that if only the ''gardens were kept open
and patronized by families as places Of peace
ful and quiet resort f" comparatively little dam
ward, as those who gather at such places are bu,
| following the custom OF ages in thus seeking
open air amusement and recrestion, and as Z
aeneral rule those who thus assemble are intoler-
| ant of all species Of lawlessness, but the Law
does not discriminate IN their favor and it 10 moi
| left for US to do SO. If they are permitted to
bad men congreaate and crime ripens into exc.
cutlon are entitled to the same privileges and
mus. logically receive the same PROTECTION. Il
.s asked by an influential paper: "By whal
process does Gov. Crittenden propose 70 do ths
part OF the work OF 'enforciDg' which she seeInl
Ioais has s'GinS mayor, ' mum municipaI @ @sssemSy,
and constables. !" without noticing the sarcasm
city has those officers and courts. and they hav,
heretofore performed their respective duties. .ant
Will, presume, continue to do 60. Personally
place u high estimate upon those officials. ant
will not anticipate default III their official du
Ties. IL they fail. it will not be my fault. !
nsinsT 4br the 9n Nor w 'ns ut III
multiplied thousands, outside and inside ofths
city. fully expect them to execute th,
Section .o It is no. so,aiers duty Ito do or dis
IS an ofhSer's duty to say. 1T is the law; 81
| must obey''-no TO discuss the merits or de
l merits OF 1t. The sentiment in st. Louis
much divided upon the question Of the law. l
| is sufe to say that the disinterested lovers o
it can be enforced without exciting the ''com
motion" represented in one OF the public journ
ais. provided resolute effort is made by th'
he following EXPIRE ssiOn from the presldent q
| the saloon keepers 9 association is given: =
J "f public opinion and the authorities insis
upon the enforcement Of the law, the saloon
| keepers must submit ..T-l a-- .
This is concession to the power of the law
''lt is the law ,and the friends Ol good order hav
| gained u victory if they have courage to rnfOrc,
It's provisions.' Tue saloon men should know
the results of continued disregard of the law
in Missouri against the violators OF all laws
! Those engaged in the liquor traffic should viii
ngy suO.nit to the conservative restraints Of th
law placed around that acknowledged evil. 1t
wisdom, IL il policy to DO So. The courts hav
! long since determined that Its regulation l
within the police powers OF the state. ReAsonin
and abiding citizens ill not submit quietl
t to the distinction OF any class Of men who open
iy ignore the law of the state, and the religion
. derstand the main question ut issue between tn
| Two classes in this state, present this section
| known as the Sunday secti0n:
"Sec. 5, 456. Any person having license as
dram-shop keeper. who shall keep open sue
'lram-shop. or who shsl! sell: give away 2 2
done upon or about his premises, any intoxicat
ing liquors in any quantity the first day OF II
week. commonly called Sunday, or upon u
upon conviction thereof, be punished by Hu
not less than fifty nor more than two hundre
again b. niioWed to obtain ' license @ to S Keen N
d after." Z"
For wise purposes the Legislature placed Il
!; above restrictions ground the dram shops. The
i are plain. simple, and prohibitive. 1t Is Il
duty of saloon-keepers to obey the lawi ars
because II is the law; second, because IL Is rigt
# that it should be done. 1t il not for them to "
I they vii obey this law If others will obey son
ly contracted to observe the law. In defnr
y | words the law ssys what they shsll not do G
that day. 1t uses no such specific words in r.
. | It subject them to the same fines or forfeiture
d | If they disobey the law. The saloon-keepe
should recognize the fact that in the public est
It nation they are not engaged In as honorab
and elev ,ting u trade as those in the commercial
mechanical. ministerial or professional busine
sert it. In doing SO they work an injury to the
|. own business. Their threats to rigidly enfor,
the Sunday law sg Ainst all other classes. all Il
! trades. ia foolish, and 10 warming into life
feeling of disgust at their selfshness. II th,
will attend to their own shortcomings the ofiel
= Of the law will attend to those of otners The
can accomplish nothing by threats. only the
own complete overthrow. They must take Il
i beams from their own eyes with clean han'
before they undertake to remove the notes fro
should be sufficient. Whenever the geher
Society It enoud ea be- done The law to
gentle should be law to the Jew, the law TO Il
| Chr lstiRn.
Aiew days ago leading st. Louis paper sal
1.-The experiment of closing the saloons al
:; gardens may be entered upon, but 1t Will 500
be abandoned and the Sunday law will becon
i; d dead letter." That may be the und
such teachings. That should not be the Case
Ia the leading Christian city in the sta
and in the Mississippi Valley. Mo
!; could not be said to please pug,
city if one were within our land. Mar
1t OF us remember with pleasure the hold and all
STAND that same paper took in favor OF the bl
+ when 1t was before the legislature. 1t is Il
same bill now that 1t las then. 1t presented
L; objection to the Sunday clause then. 1t is il
consistent to do it now. Had not that clau
st been inserted much doubt il the bull had b
rs | come the law. 1t is current fact, undisput,
= ted in ST. Louis and other cities in drinkil
saloons on Sunday than on any other day of Il
4 week. 1t is the holiday of all species or erin
engendered into life and hurled into execute
3. by the naddening stuff obtained from SUI
'harmless' open places on that day. a cess
3, tiOn Of such places under the law on that u,
will result In dimunition of criminal cost
ct which the quiet and orderly Taxpayer mu
pay % Think the omission of beer III
l. wine from the high license privilege was
error. and will result in injury to the law ar
ct manifest injustice to those operating under his
license. The reputable saloons will observe Il
ct law; only the lower order will abuse it, In sci
defence the square men should assist the Office
in the detection and prosecution OF those WI
sell liquor under beer and wine license. Evel
legal protection should be thrown around tho
who comply with the law and swift punishme
c. metcd out to those who violate 1t. The sta
assumes that responsibility. and must. in Il
words of Burke, ''act with the cold neutrali