Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-08
THE INTERESTING BLUE La

THE INTERESTING BLUE LAW SUITS.
The public will feel almost delighted to
learn that the four or five gentlemen who
compose the Law and Order Society have
at last carried their admiration OF the act
of 1894 from the domain of speech into
that of positive and radical action. Be-
lieving, as they profess, that no species OF
worldly work should be performed on Sun
day; that the trains and street cars should
not run, mill fires be lighted, newspapers
either printed, delivered or read, or for
that matter greenhouses or libraries be
opened-all of which and much more they
regard as prohibited by the ancient stat
pte-they have quit the hitherto unsuc-
cessful task of getting the rest of the COM
munity to agree with them, and now be-
gin test of the law. Like the old man in
the fable, they are tired of throwing pei
lets of grass at the boy up the tree.
Now they will try what virtue there Is IN
stones
There is not the slightest likelihood that
the movement will accomplish what the
society desires But THE DISPATCH,
nevertheless, believes it is far more cred
table to the advocates of the Blue Law to
bring the matter to the courts than to con-
tinue the incorporate and inconsequentlal
vaporing which some of them have hither-
to indulged on the subject. 1t is also
courageous on their part to begin with the
newspaper for of all the several forms OF
work which have become necessary on
Sunday, none is encouraged, patronlZed
and demanded in a greater degree by the
public than that in which the press is con-
cerned. The newspapers, also, are power
full to create opinion. They are able to
defend themselves as fully as may be.
Not only that, but as they are published
in every town of importance in the State,
and as the rule for one section will quickly
be applied to all, their interests will COM
pei the forming of so strong a league for
resistance, that if the supporters of the
Blue Law can conquer in this instance
they should be able to make short work
of tine other details of Sunday labor which
vex and agitate them.
1t may be objected, of course, to the
proceedings before Alderman Robe, that
they are not so broad and comprehensive
as the highest type of reform courage
would dictate. There will be carping
critics to declare that stern conviction
should have impelled suits simultaneously
for all the various infractions of the
statute; that the prosecution of the
employees of the trains, mills, electric light
and telegraph service, greenhouses and
library attendants and messenger boys
should have gone on az the same time with
the newspapers But that is mere matter
of tactics There is no reason why the
Society's agent should not resort to gen.
eralship if it promise advantage. To at
tack all at one time would be too arduouS.
The Society does not love the other
offences against the Blue Law the more
for granting the temporary immunity.
The plan is to obliterate each in detail.
1t is very like the famous one of Captain
Bobadil for annihilating the French armg.
An expert swordsman, he proposed,
single-handed, to challenge and kill the
enemy one by one, until the whole, horse,
foot and dragons, were put hors tgu COM
BAT We think the Society will be quite
as successful as the Captain was.
The progress of the suits will be
watched with interest. Though THE
DISPATCH is, of course, one of the parties
in immediate and adverse interest, it is
able to compliment the Society on having
at last made up its mind to take just the
step which has been steadily recon-
mended in these columns as the only way
to settle a conflict of opinion as to the
rights of citizens under the law.
Since the above was put in type re-
porters bring the latest and somewhat dis
appointing intelligence that while Alder
man Robe says informations have been
filed before him, the names are not yet to
be given out, nor the warrants to be
served-in short, that the actual execution
of the law is held ''under further advise
ment" This is really depressing. We do
not, however, feel inclined to withdraw
any of the commendation of the Society
given as above when the impression pre-
vailed that, at last, under an impulse of
courage, it had actually got into effective
action. If the warrants are not to be
served Immediately, that, too, is probably
tactics. Announcing the informations as
having been made while deferring the
warrants is, doubtless, shrewd move to
draw the enemy's fire. But the Society
should now take heart and proceed. The
mere swearing of informations while per-
haps soothing to the angry mind of the
detectives, will merely be scoffed at unless
the action proceeds.