The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-07-07
REV. POwIOK WRITES.
He Condemns Councils Action on sunda.
Base Ball.

He Condemns Councils Action on Sunday
Base Ball.
EDITOR HERALD The straddling action
of Council on the Sunday base ball ques
tion reminds one of the laboring noun
tain that brought forth mouse. | sup
pose, however, that we ought to be
thankful that Council stands by the
ministers-and goes even beyond them
| in word if not in deed. 1t is gain to
! have our Borough Fathers on record to
ehe efect that, playing base ball on
| sunday is wrong and is disgrace to the
| town and should be condemned by every
| good and law-abiding citizen This
| logically brands as a bad citizen not only
every one who patronizes and apologies
Tor sunday base ball, but also every one
| VINO does not condemn 1T. So far as words
| can go this is clear and manly putting
| of simple truth which will certainly win
the approval of every minister in the
| town. No pulpit can denounce the evil
OF Sunday base ball in more emphatic
language than this Here is the laboring
mountain.
But Council proceeds "If we had in
our investigation found that Council had
the power to comply with the petitioners
request we would have reported in favor
OF suppressing the evil complained OF. -
Here is the poor little mouse. When
words slop over on one side there is al
ways danger that deeds will slop over on
the other side.
That the decision of the law committee.
as to the law in the case is utterly un.
worthy the confidence of the people is
evident from the method taken Of form
ing 1t, Instead of securing the written
opinion OF an attorney who was disin.
terested, as was suggested to the com
mlttee, 1t listens to long and labored off
hand arguments of private counsel of the.
parties to the controversy. Who ever
before heard of counsel for either side
mounting the bench to interpret the law
which was to guide the jury
IL may seem presumptuous for n laymanI
TO discuss points of law, put it will hardly
be deemed out OF place for him to raise a n
question as TO methods of reconciling con
hicting statements of the law For excl
ample, among the corporate powers of a H
borough Is the power to appoint and re-
move such officers, prescribe their duties, I
and allow them such compensation as
they may deem necessary to secure theI
peace, order and well being OF the inhabi \
tants, etc" The Borough Sole tor (who|
admitted that he was also private coun-
sci for the ball players) denied that this 4
referred 10 police officers while Trickett,
in The latest book on the subject, saws i'll
does. The Borough Solicitor also denied,
substantially, that Council had power to
instruct its police, that they are subject
to the Chief Burgess while Trickett, in
the same work, holds that Council.
through the Chief Burgess, has such|I
power. The Borough Solicitor also argued.I
that the only relief afforded by the act of
lt94 Is the eXaction Of the penalty after
the violation, which logically reduces 1t
to sort of license lava position which
the Supreme Court has more than once
repudiated.
In the face of these things, an opinion
from a disnterested source would have
commanded more confidence, to say the
least Meanwhile we are placed NV
Council in the position Of helpless victims
of downright lawlessness. Council |
which is clothed by law with power to
secure the peace, order and well being
of the inhabitants" SAYS Sunday base
ball is disgrace to our town but our
vent it,
If this be so, local government is a re-
dtculous farce and we are subjects of a |
limited form of anarchy under the hypo |
critical pretence of democracy. Several |
thousand people may assemble in a sd |
questered spot and play base ball on Sun. /
day until riot reigns over base ball, heads |
are broken and doctors refuse to bind up.
the wounds through fear of having to at |
tend court as witnesses, and the noise can
be heard from Yatesville to Jardin street
AS was the case on last Sunday-and we
have no power to stop it, chi Then we
may as well open the jails and discharge
the police.
Very truly yours,
o., WM PowIcR.
Shenandoah, Pa, July T. 1894 Il