Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-17
SUNDAY CLOSING.
A Statement by the Citizens
Committee.
The Petition They Desire to be
Signed.
1t Will Be Presented to the City
Council Soon.
Clergymen and Others Who Have Already
Signed the Observation-Disclosures
From the Law.

The citizens committee on Sun
day closing met yesterday evening in the
First Presbyterian church and decided
to present the following to the public:
Our city closes saloons on election days );
why not on Sundays also? There is the
same reason, namely, that liquor and
leisure never meet but for mischief.
There are many reasons for Sunday clos
ing, but that just given is one on which
all friends of law and order can consist
entity unite. Even those who hold the
most secular view of government, and
those who do not favor prohibition, and
those who believe Saturday is the true
Sabbath, and those who do not keep any
Sabbath religiously, all these should ask
that saloons be closed not only on cleo
ton days but also on Sundays, because
Sunday closing reduces Sunday crime.
In Scotland and in Philadelphia alike
the reduction was seven-eights. This
shows that it is not idleness that begets
crime, but idleness married to drink
"Idleness. is the devils workshop" but
the shop itself is almost idle until drink
furnishes it with tools. There is another
reason, equally broad, for Sunday clos
saloons tends toward the Monday closing
of workshops.
'Blue Monday" costs single firm in
another city $l75,0O0 per year in lost la
Dor. besides the losses of its sober en-
ployees who often miss the wages of that
day because those on whose cooperation
their work depends do not recover from
their Sunday recreation" in the saloons
T11pS1ou 1oto A ruth
for Sunday closing, as secular as the
others, is that there exists in
the most substantial families of
the east-those who make the most
desirable settlers-a decided preference
for a quiet and orderly American Sab
bath of closed saloons, rather than a
continental Sunday of unrestrained dis
sipation and, therefore, when the news
is flashed across the land that our beau
tiful city has decreed Sunday closing it
will doubtless add both to the quantity
and quality of our citizenship. For the
sake of our city's order on Sunday and
it's business on Monday and its pros
perity on all days we ask all good citi-
zens to join in this movement for Sum
day closing. That the city council has
power to do this is clear alike from the
constitution, the courts and the charter.
The constitution says: "Any county, city,
town or township may make and enforce within
its limits all such local, police, sanitary or
other regulations as are not in conflict with the
court. in the famous pasadena case" held that
the foregoing provision of the constitution
affords sufficient ground for any, California
days GA Cal. 2O). Much more does it warrant
closing them one-seyenth of the days. Our
city's charter makes the matter still more
hr n inn r,rAx cif \,
"The said corporation shall have the power to
make and enforce within its limits such other
are not in conflict with general laws and
deemed expedient to maintain the public peace,
protect property, promote the public morals
fornia, all the states, democratic and repub-
lican allie, have Sunday laws. Judge Thur
mans decision in favor of such law is the
standard. The south is ''sold" for Sunday
The Catholic plenary council declared against
saloons Both Catholics and Protestants are
committed to this action by their chief coun-
ellis. The recent Catholic lay congress at Balti-
more advised cooperation with non-Catholics
in Sunday closing Bishop NJ ora and the whole
petition below
Powderly declared against Sunday saloons
as the worst foes of the workingmen. The un-
dersgned committee has organized on this
single ISSUE All efforts of the friends of the
saloons to side-track the committee on other
issues will be in vain. Individually and as
mittee will doubtless urge all Christians to OBJ
serve the Sabbath religiously, and all citizens
to rest and let rest on the rest day; but this
citizens committee, as such, campaigns for
but one object, the Sunday closing of saloons.
From the pastoral letter of the Roman Catho-
lie prelates of the United States. December,
Lords day which is SO prolific of evil results
that we consider it our duty to utter against it
special condemnation. This is the practice of
selling beer OF other liquors on Sunday, or of
frequenting places where they are sold. This
practice tends more than any other to turn the
day of the Lord into day of dissipation. to use
While we hope that Sunday laws on this point
will not be relaxed, but even more rigidly en-
forced, we implore all Catholics, for the love of
God and country, never to take part in such
Sunday traffic, nor to patronize or countenance
From resolutions adopted by the Bal
timOre lay congress of Catholics
"There are many Christian issues in which
CATHOLICS could come together with non-Catho-
veal. In spite of rebuff and injustice and over
looking zealotry, we should seek alliance with
non-Cathollcs for proper Sunday observance.
Without going over to the Judaic Sabbath, we
can bring the masses over to the moderation of
the Christian Sunday. To effect this we must
set our faces sternly against the sale of intoxi-
eating beverages on Sunday The corrupting
influence of saloons in politics. the crime and
pauperism resulting from excessive drinking,
require legislative restriction, which we
dlu III pIOcuTluS ny joining our 1n1uence Wltn
that of the other enemies of intemperance. Let
us resolve that drunk enness shall be made obi
Gus, and give practical encouragement and sup
port to Catholic temperance societies. We favor
the passage and enforcement of laws rigidly
closing saloons on Sunday and forbdding the
sale of liquor to minors and intoxicated per-
sons"
In accordance with the above utter
ances, the undersigned bishops and
fathers, constituting the Catholic clergy
of Los Angeles join with other citizens
in the following petition:
To the Los angeles City Council:
The undersigned earnestly petition
your honorale body so to amend or en-
large our city ordinances that the saloons
shall be closed not only on election days,
but on Sundays.
In this movement for the moral benefit
of the people, we wish the public to
understand that we are influenced by no
political partisanship.
We therefore invite all good citizens,
men and women alike, to sign and get
others to sign the following petition,
and return it to the secretary of the
committee, DR.. Edward Thomson, care
of Y. M. G. A.:
"To the Los angeles City Council:
"The undersigned earnestly petition your
honorable body so to amend or enlarge our city
ordinances that the saloons shall be closed not
only on election days but also on Sundays"
Francis Mora, bishop J. Adams, V.