The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-10-02
THIS EVENINGS D0INCS.
Law Is LAW.


worldly business, amusements and
recreation are forbidden on that day;
and whoever shall keep open his
shop, store, warehouse, or work
shop, or shall do any manner of
labor, business or work except only
works of necessity and charity, Or
be present at any dancing, public
amusement, show or entertainment,
or take part in any game, sport or
play on the Lords day, shall be
punished by fine not exceeding ten
dollars.
All marshals, sheriffs, constables
and other public officers, shall in
uuire into, and inform of all offenses
in violation of the provisions of this
chapter, and shall cause the same to
be carried into effect.
The Lords day, within the mean
ing of the provisions of this chapter,
is the first day of the week, and in
cludes the time between the mid
night preceding and the midnight
following said day.-Haaoaiiam
Statutes.
A stranger passing through this
city on Sunday would be puzzled
to decide whether he was in heather
or Christian country. 1t would be
real surprise to be informed, in
passing through some of the streets,
that the statutes of this kingdom
contain very stringent Sunday law.
On other streets, he would see that,
whether there is a Sunday law or
not, there is general closing up of
places of business. One part of the
business community cordially Oh
serves the statutes. Whether this is
from choice OF otherwise is no part
of our business to inquire. That
many others are oblvious of any OBJ
legation to law, human or divine, is
the special fact to which we are now
directing the attention of the public
as we'll as of the authorities. Two
or three trivial arrests for Sunday
labor have of late been made, but
why these arrests did not, last Sun
day, for example, reach some scores,
is what the law abiding portion of
the community would like to know.
The principal business houses are
closed up, while scores of the smaller
fry are open, with traffic in full
blast, as on any other day. The
question then arises, is there one
law for, say, Maunakea street, and
another for Fort street. Stern facts
answer there is, but the printed sta
tutcs of the kingdom say there is
not. Persons having occasion to
pass through King, Maunakca,
Meek, Beretania, and part of Hotel
streets on Sundays, see scores OF
shops wide open, customers running
out and in, carrying away their pur,
chases, and everything going on,
only with ten times as much uproar
as on any other day. And all this
is in the face of Sunday laws, and
under the inevitable direct observa
ton of the city police. Those who
respect law and order would like tt
know whether petty traders arr
above the laws, or the laws abov,
them? The first duty of the polic
is to know what the laws are, tn
next is to arrest, without respect o
persons, any man they find carrying
on business in defiance of the laws
Whether the police on the street
where Sunday buying and selling il
notoriously common know anything
about the laws, or whether they ar
too soft or too well-paid for winkin!
at lawlessness, is probably not as
certainable !; but no one with pal
of eyes can pass through the street
above named on Sundays withou
observing that to all intents and pur
poses, the police, for at least on
day in the week, is dead insttu
tion. Twenty or thirty figure heads
stood on poles, at intervals, woult
be about equally useful, and very