Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-11-30
Blue LAWS.

4
Some Of Their Interesting Features
4 Recalled by Heading the Contents ei
il Reprint.
Il OF course every one at al familiar With
New EngIand history hss some conception
Of the cd laws under which the Puritans
inf ed sentences - stern and. unyieldias
a their baIief, add Of course al know how
the Qaakers and witches we're pefsecuied.
Nevertheless most people would ind much
Ct interest IN looking through thsss old
laws and nosins the many pecalis,ites that
almost startIs ore 1t their severity.
i One OF the JouxsAL reporters VA psf-
United 70 ieok through . reprint Of N
edition Of the colonial laws Of Massachu-
sets Published in 1850 and including the
BODY Of Liberties" Of le41. This reprint
10 in the possession Of Col. W. S. Choate,
clerk Of courts. At the General Court.
May 25-h, 1886, il vss ordered that the
Governor, Henry Vsus, and others Are
snirested 70 make dfsught Of laws agree
able to the vcrd Of Gsd, which may be the
fundamentals Of this commonwealth, and
present the sams to the next general court
And il 10 ordered that in the meantime the
magistrates and their asseciases shall pro-
coed In the courts to hear and determine sll
causes according to the laws now estab-
lished and when there Is no lsv, then -
near the Isp Of God IS they can"
The book Of the general laws and hber
ties was revised and published In 1919.
In the body Of liberties il 10 noticed that
the women came in for recognition IL not
to such Al extent Is the womsn's rights
advocates Of today would approve. Sec
30 reads. ''Everie marYyrd woman shall
be free from bodiiis correction o, stripes
by her husband, uniesse il be In his owns
defence upon her assault. II there be any
| ast cause Of correction complaint shall be
| made to authositis assembled in some court,
from which onely she shall receive it,"
The prevention Of cruelty to animals vas
not at that time in the hands Of 8 society
bu. these general liberties did not overlook
the rights Of the animal for Section 80
reads, No man shall exercise any tyranny
or cruelty towards any brute creatures
which are usually kept for mans use."
Under the capital laws, after each Of
which certain passages Of the scriptures
from which the authority OF the law is
drawn, are noted. The first case 10 "If
any man after legal conviction shall have.
or Worship any other G 1d but the LORD
God, he shall be pu! to desth.
The second case IL that III any man or
woman be witch, THAT 10 hath or consul
tath With . fsmilisr spirit they shall be
pat to DEATH
Blasphemy IL, according to these laws,
punishable with death. The death penalty
was imposed upon the children above l6
years of age that should smite their father
or mother; and if parents had 3 stubborne
or rebellons son l6 years of age that re
fused to obey them he should be put TO
d.ath.
These old Law givers were determined |
that all people should dress within their
means and passed law 10 prevent linen |
or women Of mean condition taking upon |
them the garb of gentlemen by wearing |
gold or silver lace, or buttons, or points at |
their knees, or to walk in great boots, or
women Of the same rank wearing silk or
tyffany goods or scarfes, which though al |
lowable to persons Of greater estates.
or more liberal education yet was intoler- |
able in persons Of such like condition"
This court was also determined that only |
What to them was good beer-should be
brewed, and passed law to this effect.
Heretics, so.called at that time, had little
in the line Of moral suasion from the law
givers Of the commonwealth Of Massachu- |
sets ct the time these laws were enforced. |
Long categories of different articles of
faith are repeated in the laws, to disbelieve
which meant Punishment, provided the per- |
son or persons expressed their disbelief.
1t WAS no slight offence in their eyes to
regard any Of the books Of the old or the
new testament Is apochryphal. To deny
etIer by word or writing any Of the books
Of the old or the new testament "to be the
written and infallsble word of God" was
sufficient cause to impfison person without
bail or be publicly whipped.
They had no patent law at that time but
the following answered in part to such .
law: 1T is ordered. decreed and by this
court declared, that there shall be no monop-
oiies granted or allowed amongst Us, but Of
such new inventions that are profitable to
the country and that for . short time"
These old Puritan forefathers were not
ignorant Of the benefits arising from caring
for the home industries - will be seen from
the order which they passed after taking
into serious consideration the present
straight and necessities Of the country in
respect to clothing which is not likely to
be SO plentifuliy supplied from foreign
parts as in times past, and not knowing any
better way or means conducible to our Sub
sistence than the improving Of as many
hands as may be in spinning wool, cotton,
fax etc. This order epj oinsthe women, boys
and girls to spin according to their skill and
ability, aud the selectmen to assess such
families according to their condition ard
capacity. This means Of promotion Of
home industry evidently proved quite effec-
tive, producing better results than many of
the other orders that they passed.
Perhaps if more Of the people could
occasionally read these old blue laws they
would more fully appreciate that their
liberties tolsy are not being usmmeled and
that the world is becoming more kindly and
considerable in its disposition year BY year.
Its Excellent Qualities
Commend to public approval The Califoruis
liquid fruit remedy Syrup Of Figs. IL lis
pleasing to the eye, and to the taste and BY
gently acting on the kidneys, liver and
bowels, it cleanses the system efectually,