The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-07-24
SUNDAY BASE BALL AND BOAT
RACE.

n community, nor does il desire
pose in the lhanklcss position Of
moral reformer, but having du
r respect for the opinions OF other'
land they are many in this tow
and all along The coast who dilie
with US in regard TO the playin:
Of base ball and boat racing on th'
Sabbath, we feel that The per
%formances Of last Sunday call 70.
something more than a passing
mention from a public journal ii
lis performance, as such, of plain
public duty TO the pubic.
The proceedings of last Sunday
may be briefly stated as follows
The Scranton base ball nine board.
ed the train here for Pass Christian
and there entered into an exciting
public contest with the nine oil
that place, returned on the train
and in the afternoon played a sec
ond game with the Hoopers that
came over from Mobile Tor the pur-
pose, this latter game, and we pre-
sumo the same was the case with
the first, attracting a large crowd
OF eager spectators to witness the
great physical struggle for the vic
tors laurels and championship be,
tween these cnntestlng sportsmen.
They tell US this is innocent
recreation and involves no moral
turpitude as a violation of the law
of God, Of nature or of man. Is
that true, and if we a prove that
1t is not will the game be stopped ?
The first question we can easily
answer, but we will not be respon-
sible for the latter.
The Statute Of this State is:
"L day person shall ShoW forth,
erhtbtt, act, represent o rpertorm, or
cause TO be shown forth, acted,
represented or performed, any in
]rerlndes, tarces or plays Of aRy
Kind, or any games, tricks. Juggling,
Sleight of hand or .tedtS Of deEterity.
agility Of body, or any bear bait
ing, or any bull batting, horse
racing or cock fighting, or any such
like shoe or exhibition WhatSoerer,
on Sunday, every person, so offend.
ing shall be fined not more than
fifty dollars"
The italics are ours, the first re
to base ball and the latter
to boat racing, and we would sug-
gest a careful reading Of the ital-
les alone, which make sense and a
plain meaning.
We cannot just now convenient.
y place our hand on more than
one decision Of the Supreme Court
constituting this Statute, but on
he goth of January, 1890, in the
,aSe Of Rucker vs.. the State, the
question was presented to that
court, by a decision Of the Circuit
Court of Chickasaw county that a {
private game of dice or cards play
ID on Sunday was a violation Of !
his Statute. The Supreme Court !
'everSed that decision, but gave :
his reason: "While the word =
'gamea" is used, it is manifest |
rom the entire section, that it was !
Intended to apply to such sports i
p contests as are exhibited as Specta. a
les to the people and not to such 7
diversions az card playing,
hess playing and the like" We {
ere italicise the clinchers again. {
part Of this Statute is quoted
an old English Statute, equal :,
as severe, but hardly so explicit, 4
nd upon which that greatest of
Nv writer's, Sir William Black. u
one, prefaced his remarks by a
"Profanation of The Lords
ny, vulgarly (but improperly f.
llled Sabbath-breaking, is a ninth g
against God and religion, q,
finished by municipal law OF Eng Il
nd. For, besides the notorious in. G,
scency and scandal of permitting U
ny secular business to be publicly :
ansacted on that day, in a coun- b
Y protesting christianity, and the .,
of morals, which usual
follows It's profanalion, the V
one day in the seven holy, i,
a time of relaxation and refresh
ent as we'll as for worship, is of y
lmirable service TO a State con- a
dered merely as a civil mstitu- Il
Oh. Ii humanizes by the help of u
,n~versation and society, the man. c,
Frs OF The lower classes, which
Guild otherwise degenerate into
'rdid ferocIly and savage selfish
ess Of spirit /; it enables the indus
ious workman to pursue his oc. I
lnaIinn In The rnarrnn NIL III LII