The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-09-01
SUNDAY NEWSPAPERS.
AN EF0RT MADE To STOP THEIR
SALE.
NEXT SUNDAY THE LAST DAY.

On Sunday last the patrons Of FL
mer Brugler, agent for the Sunday
newspapers, were informed that af-
ter next Sunday no more papers
would be sold. This action was in
pursuance OF notice served upon
him, copy of which notice
was printed in full in the
COLUMBIAN few weeks ago. 1t is
an appeal to all business men to close
their places of business on Sunday,
and to abstain from secular work on
that day. 1t contains a suggestion
that the law may be enforced against
all who violate the act Of 1894. That
law reads as follows;
IF any person shall do or perform
any worldly employment or business
whatsoever on the Lords Day, com
monty called Sunday (works Of ncces-
sity and charity only exceptedD, shall
use or practice any unlawful game,
hunting, shooting, sport or diversion
whatsoever on the same day, and be
convicted thereof, every such person
SO offending shall for every such of
fense forfeit and pay four dollars, to
be levied by distress, or in case he or
she shall refuse or neglect to pay the
sail sum, or goods and chattels can
not be found, whereof to levy the
same by distress, he or she shall suffer
six days Imprisonment in the house
of correction of the proper county.
Provided always that nothing herein
contained shall be construed to pro-
hibt the dressing of victuals in private
families, bake houses, lodging houses,
inns and other houses of entertain
ment for the use OF, sojourners, travel
ers, or strangers or to hinder water
men from landing their passengers, or
ferrymen from carrying over water
travellers, or persons removing with
their families on the Lords Day,
commonly called Sunday, nor to the
delivery of milk or the necessaries OF
life, before nine of the clock in the
forenoon Of the same day. Provided
always, that every such prosecution
shall be commenced within seventy
two hours after the offence is COM
mitted."
The notice above referred to is
signed by the sabbath Protection
Committee of Bloomsbury" and the
"American Sabbath Union. No in
dividual names appear, neither of the
officers of these organizations, nor of
the members of the committee. If
the efforts to stop the sale Of news
papers on Sunday be laudable ones
would it not be well to have the pub
lie know who are the active persons
in this movement THE COLUMBIAN
will be glad to print the names
of the committee whenever it
can obtain the necessary information.
There are some laws that are more
honored in the breach than in the OBJ
servance, and the law of 1894, SO far
as it is applicable to the sale of papers
on Sunday, is one of them. When
that law was passed nearly century
ago, the puritanical notions of the
Pilgrim fathers were prevalent. There
were no Sunday newspapers in exis-
tence, and but very few dailies There
were no railroads, and the papers re-
ceived a week after publication were
looked upon as "news". The world
has changed since then, and the ideas
of progressive people have changed
with it. All the great dailies now
publish Sunday editions, which con-
tain the news OF Saturday, and unless
business men and all others who wish
to keep informed of the worlds doings
read the Sunday papers, they lose the
news of day. We cannot see what
harm is done by the reading of Sun
day papers, nor what great good is
to be accomplished by their suppress,
sion. People will read on Sunday,
and if they can't get good wholesome
newspapers, they will buy the trash
that is sold on Saturday as Sunday
papers, full of sensational stuff, or de
vote their time to novels and yellow
covered literature. No one not other,
wise inclined, will be driven to church
by shutting off his Sunday paper. We
believe in Sunday laws, we believe in
the proper observance of the Sabbath
but we also believe that more harm
than good will result from the enforce
ment of the law SO far as newspaper:
| are concemed. and we believe that Z