The morning call., 1894-09-02
LABOR'S HOLIDAY.
Federal Officials Tie a
String to 1t.
NOT PLAYTIME FOR ALL.
Government Employees Will Toll
as Usual.
SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE CLOSED.
United States Attorney Garter Gives
an Opinion That VIII In
terest Litigants.
SCHOOLS WILL NOT BE CLOSED.

When Congress set apart the first Mon
day in September as labOT's holiday no
one dreamed that the heads of depart
-meuts at Washington were empowered 10
decide where the day should be celebrated
and where the act of Congress should be
ignored. yet that is practically what they
have done. The humble toilers through
out the country thought that the day as
legal holiday would be celebrated every
where. The law was so brief and to them
SO plain that they saw no possible chance
to msconstrue the provisions. 1t reads as
follows:
Be it enacted, ETC.. that the first Mondav of
September ID each year. being the day cee-
orated and known as lah0r's holiday, IS hereby
MADE legal public holiday 10 all ntents and
purposes IN the same manner as Christmas, the
1St day Of January, the 22d day of February,
the Both day of May and the 4th day OF July
are now made by law public holidays.
But labor was mistaken. Nothing is
said about the Territories or the District
of Columbia in the act. yet. according to
some authorities at Washington. the law is
operative only in those sections Of the
country. Information to this effect was
sent to Daggett, the Superint endent of the
Mint, Friday afternoon, and he promptly
notified his assistants that they would
Collector Wise had notified the employees
of the CustOm-house that Monday would
be q holiday, but when he learned of the
instructions that Daggett had received the
notices came down and the wrath of the
employees went up.
Postmaster McCOppin had notified his
clerks and carriers that their services
would not be required on Monday, and he.
nearing OF the action taken by the Col
Iector OF Customs aud the Superintendent
of the Mint, telegraphed t. Washington
for advice. No answer came and his hands
Will labor as usual on Labor day.
Campbell 7. Berry. Assistant United
States Treasurer, wired Secretary Carlisle
for instructions. and received the follow
ing lacOnic reply: "Close on the Sd, if il
Is State holiday. so far as business per-
mits." He will not close.
Judge Morrow of the United States Dis
trict Court did not find the hidden mean
ing in the act which the mighty intellects
at Washington must have found. He ad-
Jonrned bis court until Tuesday morning:
but Judge Beatty of the Circuit Court
will be on hand 10 do business as usual
Marshal Baldwin does not know where
he is at, ana In order that he may be on
The safe side Will keep his Office open.
United States District Attorney Garter
could not see that the act is cryptogram,
and his Office will be closed.
I'VE have not been officially notified"
be SAID, OF the passage OF any act of Con-
gress establishing Labor day as a holiday;
but assuming such 10 be the fact, so far as
the conduct OF my own business is con-
ceTned. shall not 90 into any profound
consideration of the constitutional power
of Congress 10 pass such an act. as thu
Secretary Of the Treasury seems to have
done.
IL think it is within the power OF Con-
gress, however. to prescribe on what days
judicial business can be transacted in the
courts, and it is apparently the intention
of Congress that Monday shall be regarded
as nOn-judicial day by enacting that it
shall be holiday.
"The question is one, however, which
can be avoided by Tefrainng from tie
transaction of judicial business, and il
ought to be so avoided, as no litigant can
afford to have the question get into his
case"
The United States Court of Appeals will
meet and adjourn to Tuesday. The COL
llector Of Internal Revenue will not close
his Office.
At the City Hall all departments suf-
fered great distress of mind all dav over
the LabOT-day question, and at closing
time manv had not fully recovered.
Some OF them shifted their position
two or three times over the line to close or
not to close.
During the early afternoon Mayor Fllert
telephoned the Sheriff, Auditor, Treasurer
court clerks Offices and the others that
the day was legal holiday and they would
not be expected TO do business, and it was
SO accepted.
Later, however, doubts began to arise in
the minds of the Recorder, Assessor, ETC.,
as TO whether they ought to refuse 10 do
business with people who might want to do
business with them on that day. and thew
sent messengers around TO inquire what
others thought about IL, and so the peace
of mind OF the entire building was again
upset.
The Public Library had decided early in
the morning 10 remain OPEN Then they
heard that the courts had decided the day
TO be legal holiday, and this was fol-
lowed by the Mayors message, and they
decided TO close Then one of the trustees
dropped into Secretary Cases office and
SAID there was all-enveloping doubt about
the matter, and where there was doubt
the reading publi3 should be given the
benefit of 1t. So the Public Library, unless
the arrangements are again shifted, will be
open on Monday.
rived al generally. The courts will do no
on judgments rendered that day, but the
clerks Offices will be open-both of the
Supreme and County courts and Justices.
as we'll as the Sheriff's, Recorders. Treas
urer's. Auditors, Assessors, Supervisory
and other offices. 1t is not expected that
much. If any, business will be done, and
many OF the clerks will make it a holiday
ana their chairs Will be vacant.
Inc state Supreme Court and the Su-
perlor Courts will be closed.