San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-15
SHORT STOPS

SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.
Lawyer Fleming and his fellow crusad
| err are no doubt well meaning people. II
| their address to the business men and cit
| liens, they have shown how one SideC
| and prejudiced some very good people
Il; can become whenever religious questions
are forced into the controversy.
They start O ut by asserting that in
point OF wealth aud poDulaLiOn' ours is
the first city in the state. and in order tC
maintain this position we must get up a
| reputation for being law-abiding. And
then they assert that with the exception
OF the gaming ard sunday laws, ours l.
one of the most lawabiGing cities in the
Union.
If San Antonio has reached such pros
peTity and eminenCe as a law abiding city,
then it must be because her people do not
need any Sunday law. aud these gentle
men are doing an injury TO the town by
trying TO enforce such aw.
These very good people make the mis-
take, and it is serious one, Of thinking
that the Sunday law was passed by some
higher authority than the Texas lpgiSla-
ture; that it has religious sanction: when
in fact, it has no more Sanctity than the
law regulating the.inSpeciiOn of cattle, or
the scalp law, or the dog aw.
Our good Christian people have no more
interest in the enforcement of the Texas
Sunday law than they have in the en-
fOrcempnt of the vagrant act, and they
leave all these things to the courts aud
the officers chosen To carry out the laws.
Somebody is responsible for this public
mischief making. 1t may not all come
from the puIuitS: it may come from cum
ming political e-puIcrS.
Any citizen VINO has cause to complain
of the infractiOn of any law can do 50. 1t
is unnecessary for him to get up Sam
Jones meeting in order TO make his COM
plant.
If Mr. Fleming or any one of his asSO-
ciateS has been injured or disturbed by
the nfracton of the Sunday law he can
step into the open courts and make his
complaint: unless he wants to get up a
religious war. raise political questions,
and generally disturb the community.
Not day passes that persons are not
brought before the recorder on individual
complaints, for violation Of laws just as
sacred as the Texas legislature sunday
law.
The humbleSt waShwoman in the city
can bring her neighbOr before the bar Of
justice for calling her pet names what is
the matter with Mr.. Fleming and his aSsO-
ciateS coming up individually and com
p aiming of the co 'ner saloon man for
disturbing their plOuS medlLatlUnS, are
they any better than the poor wash wO-
man, in the eyes OF the law, or are they
so timid and modest they must have "a
mass meeting to shelter themselves be-
hind.
Our churches are privileged inStitu
tons, exempt from taxation and III this
way partly supported al the expense of
the general public. They are protected |
by severe laws from disturbance: they
are fed by charity: perfect religious
liberty in not only guaranteed but enjoy
ed; but not satisfied, some religious PEG
pie want to make political question of |
the Sunday law. The game law is just as
sacred as the Texas legislature sunday |
law.
This movement is simply piece of po
litical agitation: it will do no good even !
if successful: it will not add one soul to |
the crown of any one Of our local saints; |
it will not prevent drinking; but it will |
drive the stranger from our gates, and in
jure our city.
If the gentlemen believe what they say, |
that we have the most prosperous city in
the state and the most law abiding city, !
why can't they leave well enough alone.
II our city has reached it's present posi-
ton without the intervention of Sam
JOneSism, is 1t not reasonable TO believe IL
will maintain its position.
The courts are open to every citizen to
make his complaint. Any injured citizen
can come before the courts and make his
complaint. 1t don't look right for a lot of
full grown men to be lodging behind the
oetticOatS of the good women of this city
and getting up an unnecessary Juror over
the Sunday law. If they are hurt let
them 90 into the courts and complain:
each man on his own account.
The saloon men are not much concerned
about this affair. They pay a license to
carry on their business; they pay taxes,
and are recognized as legitimate business
men. The only reason they keep open on
Sunday is to accommodate the people;
they know that if their front doors are
closed, the people will climb in at their
windows; they know that it is all the
same to them if they want to sell drinks:
but many Of them would like to
close up and have Sunday for
themselves, If everybody else
would do the same. But the people, we
mean large and respectable class of
people, Some Of our best, most law abiding
people, frequent gardens and saloons on
Sunday, and IL is at them that this cru
SADIE is aimed.
Let the good people who have been
drawn into this crusade look well and