The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-08-08
Sunday Observance Of Law.

cinnati by the saloonists of that city is
bringing the Sunday law proper into
more than its usual prominence. The
Owen law deals exclusively, It might be
said, with saloons and places OF amuse-
ment, closing all such places on Sunday.
Now while we do not know that the
Owen law is being violated in Hillsboro,
yet we do know that the doors. OF some
of the saloons are open on that day. 1t
Is to be presumed that the Mayor and
Marshal know the same thing. But the
Sunday law proper covers crater scope
than the Owen law, and includes every
thing Of secular nature wherein labor
is performed. This, as defined in other
places, includes the selling Of cigars,
work performed in barber shops, or the
sale of any merchandise which is not
absolutely necessary on Sunday. This
Is not doe-muzsling law to be observed
when "Old Sirius" is on the meridian for
about eight weeks, but an every.Sunday
law to be respected and obeyed by every
citizen irrespective of place or position.
Now we have been having some goings-
on on Sunday in our police and Mayors
court that large number Of our citizens
are unable to attach the phrase "works
OF necessity" to. We have made the
effort to learn under what statute the
Police Justice or the Mayor are author.
ICED to hold court on Sunday. But the
effort has been futile. No such statute
seems to be in existence. And If no
such provision exists in the law permit.
ting the holding of court on Sunday, is
II not a direct violation of the statute
for our officer to hold court, collect
fines, summon witnesses and perform
such other labor Of docket entries and
receiving salaries as is recognized as
common labor? Are our officers above
the law? There may be some extreme
cases in which an officer would be justi-
fed in the performance OF some official
duty, but the holding of court on Sun
day for the trial of drunken roughs who
violate not only the law but every rule
of decency is certainly stretching the
cloak Of mercy to dangerous extent.
Another feature of the case which is
highly condemnatory to the practice in
Hillsboro is that of comparison. Such
practice as we have here is not even
thought of in such cities as Cincinnati
where violations of the law are counted
by the hundred. Why is this thus ?
Hillsboro may be model town in many
respects, but such practices as that OF
holding criminal court on Sunday Ger.
tainly is not one of the conditions which
entitle US to any respect or Difference
from the outside world. AS a public
organ we raise our voice against this
practice for the following reasons: /: Itis
altogether uncalled for. 1t encourages 6
feeling of disrespect for the observance
Of the Sabbath as day ofre The ten
dency of this practice is for the officer
to hold each day alike, while the statute
provides for the opposite. And furthe
we insist that our officers should no
only enforce the law, but they should b
scrupulous above all other men in thei
observance OF the law.
Since writing the above we were agail
entertained by having police court O
Sunday. This time it was for VIM. Vile
and "Chick" Beard. The parties ha
, both imbibed too freely on Saturday an
and were landed in the cooler on Satul
day evening. Their trial was had o
! Sunday and it would require an effol
equal to facing Dakota blizzard to e1
, plain the necessity of holding the tri'
! on Sunday, but it was held and bot
prisoners are now working under tn
, direction of VIM. Fenner, prison guart
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