The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-10-31

TEE SUNDAY WSS.

An Address Ia the feopie oi mary anu
Members of the Sabbath Association
of Mary land and a committee from the
Ministerial Union met last weeks at
the Bible House, North Charles street
Baltimore and prepared this address tol
the people of Maryland:
The recent action ot the grand Jury
looking to the better enforcement of the
Sunday laws meet our hearty approval,
and we hereby pledge it cur earnest
support in the position it has taken. At
the same time wo caunot but regard the
methods adopted by the police force in
carry ing out the instructions of the grand
jury on Sunday, October II, as all
attempt to make the Sunday laws odiOua,
sympathy with a determined effort to
secure. in the next Legislature, their
modification or repeal.
Our experience during the past few
years with the police board in the matter
of the enforcement of the Sunday laws
has been far from satisfactory. Instead
of enforcing them in their true spirit and
intent, and in accordance with the en-
lightened sentiment of the better classes
OF the community, it has put a construc
ton OF its own upon them, and thereby
has pandered - the interests of the
real aw-breakers at whose offeGSes the
statute principally aims When We add
to this the well known fact that the
legal officer whose sworn duty it is to
see that the Sunday laws are executed
without fear or favor has assumed To
Judge OF their eXpediency, aud has
shown his Discrimination to bring to
justice prominent offenders against them
it viii be clearly seen that IL state OF
things exists which is likely to render
futile the efforts of the grand jury, aud
which ought to rouse 10 action the
lovers of law and order of all parties aud
names.
In the second place, and we believe
we speak for the constituency We repre-
sent, we are perfectly willing to have i
reasonable and proper construction pu
upon The clause OF the present statute,
work OF Ec cessity aud charity excepted
by which it seeks to guard against any
thing like "hiuo law eulcrcemfL 1t OF
the day OF weekly rest. The great aim
OF this association is to guard the com.
munity against the enorm!ties OF open
saloons and gambling establishments,
and of unnecessary toll and trafli; on
Sunday. We believe that the experience
of man shows that the setting apart of
one day in seven for rest and opportuui
ties for higher things is absolutely
necessary for the individual aud for
society. 1t il to the interest of our great
city that the Sunday laws now upon
our statue books be enforced " it'll wise
rigor. Open saloons and stores and
places OF amusements or gaming on
| Sunday tend directly and necessarily to
| the Generalization of the community
| to go unchecked and unpuuisEed, thou
sands OF toilers must be deprived of the
| day of rest to which they are entitled,
and the morals of the community suffer.
1t is in the power of the courts SO to
| interpret The exemptiug clause of the
statute that no man need endure hard
| ship. All we desire is such an enforce
ment of the law as will restrain the
cupidity and greed of the practically
| lawless classes and the careless indiffer-
en"a of lnuse who think only of their
own selfish advantage or comfort and
are utterly obhvious to the higher duties
| they owe to the community in which
they live.
Ia the third place we desire TO give
notice that we will oppose with all our
! power any essential modification of the
Sunday laws upon our statute books
and will seek IN every way and by the
use of all available means to secure the
arrest and punishment of fragrant
offenders against these laws. Whatever
may be the outcome of the present act
ion of the grand jury and the police, We
| do not intend to cease our efforts to havc
| the Sunday laws, III their true intent
and meaning, respected and obeyed. l.
| necessary, we will put more agents j.
the field, and will spare neither time no
strength to give this community the da,
which, we believe, is so essential to il,
peace and prosperity. In these efforts
we earnestly beg the support of all law
abiding citizens. There is danger, We
fear, of our city's falling into the hand,
of men who are defiant OF law and
morals. 1t will be a sad day for Balti-
more, as tor any other large city, if such
a state of things as now exists is Above
to go on unrebuked and uncOrrected.
We beg that in the approaching elections
our citizens will think of these things
and act accordingly. Surely the effort
to preserve respect for law and promote
| the morals of the community ought to
have the best wishes and active aid Of
| all good men. The address is signed in
behalf OF the Sabbath Association by
d. W. Hopper, president, and F. V.
| Rhodes, secretary, and i'll behaI: OF the
| Ministerial Union by Rev. A. J. Row Wand
| ID. D., chairman, and Rev. J. p. Wright
| secretary.