New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-19
WAR ON SUNDAY NE WSPAPERS
EFFORTS TO STOP THEIR PUBLICATION
AND SALE IN PITrsBl Rs

NEWS COMPANY ESCAPES PRoo'
EcrTIoN-TIIE ANCIENT
LAW OF 1894.
PIttsburr March IL (spccIan.-A determined eHor'
Il being made here to compel the abandonment Of the
sunday editions Of the newspapers. under he 'c' VI
1874. which prohibits oil worldly employment on the
sabbath day. Church people differ In the matter inc
PRESBYTERIAN denomination leading In the cruSiu''
Local political differences have also bec0m" Iac'or'
no attempt TO enforce the sunday laws has been mnde
in the state outside this allegheny County. Inc
law OF 1894 provides fine OF ~ ana costs III
1865 a supplement TO the act, apphcaDie 10 '"''
county alone increased this fine TO 80. About Jour
years ago the sbnrg Law AMI order society started
4 crusade against the sunday sale Of cigars. soda
water ice cream and candy. and by vigorous en-
fore cement of The law won the day.
wear ago the war aglIns, the Sunday newspapers
was started. and there have been numerous arrests
and fines imposed. the sunday newspapers joining
hands In the legal defence and in the payment Of the
fines Major A. NJ. Browne. one OF western fehI-
sylvanias most prominent attorneys looks after the
interests OF the offending carriers and agents. all
nforma,ions being made before william l.ohe ward
magistrate. who this week signed petition ia>or'he
an exemption OF the sunday newspapers from the
operations OF the blue laws. ~ their opponents cali
them There has been appeal 10 the state supreme
Court wEicl declined TO give relief to the appellant
Justices admitted the necessity OF some notifications
OF the Sunday laws to salt the present times and even
declared that the sunday newspaper BECAUSE 0I lis
long use and widespread circulation. Ind been mad"
necessity. bnt they declined TO depart from III
cral Interpretation OF the law, AID pointed to the
Legislature the only of relief There has
been some talk OF appeal 10 tll" United state
supreme Court but II has not yet taken shape. and
II the Legislature does not pass repeating lsv th'
sunday newspaper proprctoiS may content 'he'h-
selves with making the law odous a. possible and
prosecuting the employs OF Monday morning news
papers for >unday work.
The Pennsylvania Legislature meets every twV
years and at The last session. Mr.. Fow. Asscmblyman
from Philadelphia introduced measure 10 permit the
Sunday ale Of da-waicr, ice-crcam cigars and
candy. There was mention OF sunday newspapers,
because the present crusade hid not even been ah'ci
patei Mr. Fow's bill was defeated by n closc vote.
the country members voting nay. the city members
ranging themselves the opposite Side. Four oil"
we're introduced at the present session. VII. 10"
introduced his old bll another exempted SUNDAY
new spapcrs. a third proposed 10 make the 80 FIN"
universal throughout the state. and aothcr proposed
10 rcducc the fine In this county TO ~. The Sunday
newspaper bill was defended before the General judi
ciary Committee OF the House By the leading new paper
proprictors and cdws OF both PHILADELPHIA, and litis
burg The Philadelphia sunday papers have never
vet been disturbed bat cruadc there Il not unIiKrN
be- prompted 10y TIE IlttsihiTe WIT, "hu inv
dephia people want 10 avoid II. II possible. although
they can stand SIX times as many prosecutions ~
their Pit, burg brethren for the expenditure y"
money Ninety per cent Of the petitions against n"
newspaper bill came from the Presbyterian Church
There were none from the Catholic. Episccpnlinn or
German Lutheran churches or Quaker communities
very few from the Mcthodsis and less from the Bap
lists The committee hns negatively reported the bill
hut there will he a hard fight TO get II npon III"
I,hiud.iphIa mcrll,crs of the com
mittec voted solidy for the bil but the members from
this county strange to say. stuck 10 the rural Assem-
biymen and they formed the majority. II was case
NJ poll,Ical revenge with the Allegheny members.
the Sunday newspapers say, ana Nr. "ChriS Mage"
K he'd responsible An editorial In Httsburg
pretty thoroughly ventilated both sides. Mr.. Magee'.
Times which has no Sunday edition. charged 9Th"
Disn,tch- u,epJ and The Leader independent. kni
n snruorfer OF Mr. Harrison both times, With being
law breakers The Leader" replies that Mr.. Magcc's
conversion the sabbatarian side had occurred SUI
denly and since the municipal election OF last month
and that Mr.. Mage" was perfectly Wiling 10 pnpi>h
sunday edition himself that he bad applied 10 9" tn"
Lenders for a share 81 the United Press franchise, bi'
The Leader declined sell. Another sunday paper
The POST (DemD had joined hands With "Thc
D,snatch- and The Leader" In successful opposition
10 the Republican or socacd ring ticket. and
helped TO elect Democratic Mayor and Republican
Controller. Mr. Naecc only succeeding In eiecting hiH
candidate fox City Treasurer. with whom ihe "aaer
and "Thc Dispatch We're perfectly satisfied ana
against whom 1.-THE I0st had ho'hhH W SAY 'o' wv
Is a crippled Union veteran.
The bill TO extend the 80 fine TO the entire state
was also negatively reported by House Committee
nj HARRISBURG Senator Quays friends In ttc Legs
aturc are working for modification OF the sunday
laws one OF the Senator's Ieuenants In the
comfy introduced the Sun1ay Newspaper Exemption
BILL The sunday newspaper people claim To b. ais
eliminated against In the amount Of fines Imposed IN
this county and Insist that quiet distribution OF
rcir papers before church hours does not Interfere
with any mans religious duties They also charge
tho friends Of the laws OF 1894 With inconsistency In
that they do not prosecute the employees OF MONDAY
morning editions the sunday newspaper people CON
tending that there Is as much sunday work on Inc
Monday morning Issue as there Is ON the Sunday
sheets The crusaders do not appear tO relish tIhs
last argument. They do not pretend to deny It.
They simply ignore II. The proprctOrs OF the Sun
day newspapers have prepared an elaborate plan OF
revenge on sThc Times and The COmmerialHn-
ze,c, the latter an old time defender Of the Blue
Laws, and both morning papers. The Monday
morning editions OF "The Dispatch and The Post
arc not to be- intcrfered WITH because they are In
uc sunday combine. but II Is proposed to stop nil
work on the Monday morning editions OF The
Times, anda Tie Commercial Gazette before mid
night Sunday The sunday combine also proposes
to stop. II possible the sunday operation OF cable
and street car lines also the Sunday free concerts
In schenley Park the latter paid for by the street.
car companies. "Thc commandments evidently
fears counter crusade, for 1t has ordered its COM
posi,ors TO make the distribution OF type for Mon
days Issue on Saturday composition not To commence
before Z p. NJ, sunday. when THE composing room
doors to De- locked.
The Sunday combine was rather late In circulating
it, petitions for signatures. The hrs big batch con
thinning about 30 900 names. not sent 10 Harris
burg until last Monday, the bill having already re-
ceived II black eye in TIE committee. The sunday
newspaper proprietors, II pushed TO the wall. pro
pose TO put ont their sheets AT midnght on eafr-
day the literary matter. Outwcighng the news end
something uiavoidabe In inland town AT such an
early hour. one novel outcome oi he crusade
against the sunday newspapers Tn manner ~
which the Union News Company. which controls the
sale Of reading matter the railroad trains ana In
the stations has succeeded IN escaping prosecution
AT the bands Of the Pttsbrrg Law and Order Society
The act OF 1904 does permit arrests for Violation
Of It's provisions Sunday. also not without n