The Progress., 1892-11-26
0FFlCI0US BILL JONES.
HE DON'T BELIEVE THE SUNDAY
LAW HAS BEEN VIOLATED,
And Asks the Opinion of His Friend
Smith.


Mr.. VIM. Generous Smith, At Home (by |
chauce).
My DEAR OLD CHUH: Il know that you
will be surprised TO hear from me; but
all the same l want you TO hear me. If
there is one thing that you love above
another, it is fair play and eveu-hauded
justice. Now, don't blush; it is no taffy
that am giving you. l mean it. l want
You to act as arbiter and settle a mooted
question that is agitating the minds of
the peace-loving but artless citizens OF
Gossip street. You know where it is,
hence it Is unnecessary totatellss you it is
inhabited by busy class OF peOpl', who
are so totally unseltish and self-sacrificing
that, absolutely, they neglect their own
business to look after that O. other peO-|
Pile. For some me they have had The
PRoGRESs (rHE PROGRESS, you know, Is a
newspaper) on trial. I hat paper for sew
eral weeks has been using its best eu-
deavors to convince the credulous Iesi-
dents of Gossip street that the Sunday
law is being shametully and tiagrantlv
violated in sight of and right under the
noses of the officers of the law. Perish
the thought!
Now. the editor of THE PRoGREss is
young mau. lie has not been long In
the editing bus:uess, and fear is suffer-
ing from what newspaper men call ST.
vtres attack OF over. ZealOusuess, ana
venture the assertion that this rash aud
uufounded statement is made. not from
personal knowledge of the young editor
| himself, but upon Information fur
nished by some heartless wat, or some
other pei SON possessed OF large and vivid
imaginative lowers. IL am correct i'm
my surInise tn nix the Individual that
ha.. ht.s aaIl Etax. ..,.Ix
posed upon the editor of The PROGRESS,
who is one of the most Innocent and un-
lsuspectiDg pencil showers it was ever nv
/ pleasure 10 run over. ought to be ban
ished 10 Bossier City for at least one
week. The punishment, admit, would
be severe, but if ne hats good strong
constitution, ne might survive it.
But what leads me to say what do is
that have more than once, quite re-
Gently, read III the Times notices highly
complimentary TO The mayor and police
force of Shreveport, OF which Gossip
street is a part. Indeed, this old and
over-scrupulOus journal, which has never
been known to go off at a tangent, but
gives praise only to whom praise is due
has been lavishiy extravagant in extoll-
ing the superlative efficiency of the city
government generally. and the admira-
bic fitness of the police force particlI-
larly. And, dear Smith, this makes il so
because, as you know, the Times never
iudulges in any sentimental gllsh. II
means all il says. and occasionally lit
tie more This old and reliable paper
has sale, that Chief of Police Nelson ant
his lynxed-eyed policemen are u holy
terror to evil doers. This you will alst
admit is true, for the simple reason tina
rhe editor of the Times never jokes. He
is coustitutionally opposed to saying
funny things. accept as solemn fac
; the statement OF the Times that it is n'
fault of Chief Nelson aud his vigilan
and valiant corps of assistants that guilt
men are scarce commodity, and hart
to find. They all remain in doors. Henc,
| | cannot refrain from saying that TIL
PROGRkss does the mayor. chief OF polic
and lis force Il downright injustice whel
it says that the Sunday law or any Othe
law enacted for the protection and gov'
uf society Is being openly and shame
fully violated. Such cannot be the cast
else the police. who are -ver on the aler
(see the Times back Dumber). wOul'
most probably find it out aud go for th
bold aud shameless violators with tn
lavidity and relish that duck woul
pouuce upon June bug.
Like myself, dear Smith, are you no
surprised at the temeriry of the yOuD
aud unframed editor of TnE PhoGREss
. But perhaps he will learn two or thre
yalua BILE iessoDs If he remaius lou
enough in the editing buriness. At an
rate, let us entertain this hope for him.
Now. all of us know, even the benight
ed people on Gossip street, that IL Is
yiulutiun OF the law to sell whisky. brel
letc., on Sunday. aud ain constrained I
ltuink CHE PPoeRIsS to the contrar
Notwithstanding there have been no vic
Iations of the Sunday Jaw, because tn
police have made no arrests. This latte
fact, however, may be due to tn
other fact that the policemen OF Shrevs
port, are all good moral u,en and Devel
well, seldom ever, enter saloons--on SUI
day. Toey don't driuk -Un Sunday.
Again, It, is against The law TO gambl,
J. But gambling Is u thing of the past.
il cIassed among the lost arts. Ponce
5 men. as q rule, that is, shreveport pollc'
y. men, are opposed to setting up late 9
: nights, and therefore. from a hie
Il moral sense of duty, refrain from gan
bling. You may take my word for J
there is no gambling going on IN Shrev,
II port. or else the police might possibi
u md il out and then woe unto The ev
doers.
And especially it IL against the la
l(made so by Tue lale State legis'atureJ