The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-10-27
THEATRE OR SCHOOL !?
The Origin of Hoboken's
New Law and Order
Movement.
AGAINST SUNDAY THEATRICALs.
The Complaint Is That Children
Sent % Sunday School Go
to q Variety Show.

A Law and Order League for the pur.
laws in particular and other State laws
IN general is being organized in Hobo
ken.
Many Of Hoboken's most prominent
citizens are interested in the movement
and it is expected that the League will
be in operation within few days.
Among those interested in the move
ment are the Rev. Mr.. Barnes, of the First
Methodist Episcopal Church of Hoboken;
Mr.. c. L. Pitts, John c. Besson, and
School Commissioner Rudolphy.
THEATRE VS.. SUNDAY SCHOOL
The causes leading to the proposed
formation of the league were the viola
ton of Sunday observance laws by the
managers of the Hoboken theatres and
children under the legal age of ten are
said to go to the theatre on Sunday after
moons instead of attending the Sunday
school. where their parents had sent
them.
Mr.. C. L. Pitts, superintendent of the
Sunday school connected with the First
M E. Church, had noticed the nom
attendance of a number of the children
of his school, and upon investigation
learned that they We're attending the
theatre. Upon learning this, he called
meeting of the Sunday school superin-
tendents for the purpose of taking some
action towards closing the theatres.
1t was proposed to form Law and
Order Leegue. but before doing SO they
decided to send committee of one in the
person of School Commissioner Rud0lphy
to the Mayor, and request him to exercise
his official power in closing the theatres,
and one in particular where minstrel
performance once was to take place. The
Mayors answer was to say the least dis
couraging. He told Mr.. Rudolpny that
it was useless to try to enforce the law,
as, he, had had the proprietor of one OF
the places indicted, and the latter was
only fined Sl2. Mr.. Rudolphy returned
to the meeting with this answer. and
also added that the Mayor seemed anxious
to attend the show himself
THE MOVEMENT TAKES SHAPE.
The gentlemen dispersed after arrang-
ing Tor meeting to be held on Monday
evening of this week, at the First M. E.
Church. The meeting convened on that
evening and decided to form a league.
The matter was placed in the hands of q
committee, of which Mr.. Besson was
made chairman. Matters have now pro-
crossed so Tar as to lead those interested
in the movement to believe that the
league will be in active operation next
Sunday.
called on the Rev. Mr. Barnes last
evening and talked to him in regard to
the movement. He said that he had
preached a number of sermons on the
subject until finally the laynen of the
church and many of the prominent eiti-
zens of Hoboken had had healthy and
active sentiment aroused among them.
SALOONS AT CHURCH MEETINGS.
''It is about time that something was
done to stop the Dissertation of the Sab
BATH" said the reverend gentleman. In
this town you can buy anything from 8
loaf of bread to suite of parlor furniture
on Sundays.
cat one time there was Law and
Order League here, but saloonmen
packed their meetings and voted down
the law and order people,"
School Commissioner RudolphY says
81 have followed children on Sunday
afternoons who were sent to Sunday
| school, but instead of going there they
street, where performance that is in no
older persons, much less the morals of
highly respected parents who isit the
place almost every Sunday afternoon un-
accompanied by either parents or
guard ians, who If they knew of the visits
of their children to the place would be
almost heart broken"
SeigfrIed Cronheim, the proprietor of
Cronheim's Theatre, Hoboken, when he
learned that Law and Order League
was in process of formation, said:-''If
they enforce the law | certainly will obey
it. But wait until they do. If ! close up
on Sunday, it is no loss to me; most of my
buSineSS ia done on week daVS