The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-09-13
TRYING TO DIVERT ATTENTION.

Our friend, the Revie,o, seems to feel
very badly over the question which
has been raised anent the enforcement
of the Sunday laws, and says there
is good deal of humbuggery and not
little hypocrisy manifested in the
discussion of Sunday amusements. "
Now all the 'humbuggery and hypoc-
riSy" that has been manifested has
been in the columns of the ReDieaC,
which has made the attempt to stand
upon both sides of the fence and on
the fence at the same time, aud has
of course made a fiZzle of it.
But because it has jumped ,all
around upon the matter like wealth
er cock before the wind, is no reason
why it should resort to misrepresenta-
tion of what appeared in the columns
of the FREE PRESS as it deliberately
did last evening when it said that we
classified Sunday amusements in the
same category with murder. theft and
licentiOusness. The FREE PRESS
made no reference of this kind what
ever. What the FREE PRESS did say
was that no one has close monopoly
as to what laws should or should not
be enforced; that if one picks out
Sunday laws, the thief, the murderer,
rapist and counterfeiter have the
same right as to laws which interfere
with their desires. In no way did we
classify orattempt to classify Sunday
amusements in the same category, as
the ReUieoU we'll knows.
The FREE PRESS has refrained
from the first in making the matter
one of personalities, for the simple
reason that there is nothing of a per-
sOnal nature connected with it. 1t is
simply matter of the proper author
tiles enforcing the laws, and in this it
struck popular chord, hence the
straining of our contemporary to di-
vert attention and confuse the public
by trying to introduce personalities.
1t looks somewhat peculiar that one
occupying the position the Revieao
editor has officially in one of the lead
ing church denominations of the coun-
try, that is doing everything possible
to lift the public to higher plane of
Christian development, should openly
advocate in the columns of his paper
that certain laws should not be en-
forced because some do not want
them enforced. Such advocacy as
that has demoralizing effect upon
any community, and it's effect upon
the young is really more harmful
than are many amusements which
might be INDUCED in, for it has ten
dency to lead many to regard all law
with contempt when it may stand in
the way of their desires. And such
advocacy is all the worse when it comes
from the columns of journal whose
editor continually processes to favor a
high standard of morality for our COM
munity.
If the law can be disregarded in the
matter of base ball, SO it can in the
matter of horse race or any other
amusement which may be desired; in
fact it can not be suspended for any
particular thing as may suit the no
tion of the authorities, nor can it be
made to apply to one sex, without ap-
plying to the other with equal force.
All are equally admirable to the law,
and an officials oath contains no dis
| tinctiOn.
Lastly the ReUieov desclaims all in
tention to instruct It's ministerial
friends, and then true to it's charac-
teristics proceeds to tell them what
they should do AS is usual in the
discussion of most public questions
our neighbor is decidedly consistent
! in h cf xaA ;,&