St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-27
CITIZENS SAY YES
The Eighth Ward Citizens
Union Holds a Big Meet
ing
AND SITS DOWN ON KICKERS
Against Sunday Base Ball.
Adopting Strong Reso-
lutions.
SEVERAL SPEECHES MADE
And Petition to the Mayor
Urging No Interference
Signed.
EvERAL SPEECHES MADE

The Eighth Ward Citizens union
held largely attended meeting last
night at its hall, corner Of Univer-
| sity avenue and Cale street, and en-
Enthusiastically Endorsed Sunday base
ball, adopting strong resolutions in
| opposition to the movement against
| it The meeting was called to attend
to: routine matters and to consider
the opposition that has recently ar1s-
en- in some quarters to the continu-
| ance of ball games on the Sabbath.
| 1t is said that a lumber dealer and
| a contractor are the leaders of this
suddenly developed opposition, which,
it is stated, is chiefly due to certain
disappofntments suffered by them
with reference to securing contracts
for the building of Comiskey's grand
stand and big fence. When the ami
mus of the new movement is under
stood, it is net surprising that the
latter is generally disapproved by
the leading citizens of the ward.
About 200 were present at last
| hight IllSSllilS, hllilS
the small hall. Informal discussion
| as the members gathered developed
| that those persons living immedia .ely
adjacent to the base ball park have
the least to say in opposition to its
continuance For instance, William
| H. Hofer, whose residence is per-
| haps closer to the diamond than that
of any one else, stated that he had
not been in the slightest degree in
convenienced, nor had he. any OBJ
jections to offer ,as 800.
The meeting was called to order
| by Walter Gibbons, vice president
| of the union, President Gates A.
Johnson being unavoidablY absent.
1t was announced that, Judge E. Fl.
| Wood having moved out Of the ward,
the bylaws provided for the cleo
| ton of a new secretary in his place,
and Peter /. MetZdorf was accord
| ingly chosen. DR.. A. Lyons, the we'll
/ known druggist, called attention to
THE BALL GROUND QUESTION,
and stated that he had been waited
upon by Joseph Nolan, with petition
! against the Sunday games. Mr.
| Nolan had added that it was his
further intention to drive the ball
| club out of the ward entirely.
Judge Wood here came in and made
/ a temperate and reasonable speech.
He said that the union, formed to con-
| slider the interests of the ward as bust
ness men, should not fail to regard
| several important points with refer
! ence to the ball ground matter. First,
the game, when played on Sunday, oc-
! eupies but a couple Of hours in the
! afternoon, long after citizens have
had ample opportunity to attend
| church Again, the league, club would
play so much in other cities that on
many Sundays during the season the
| grounds would be unoccupied Next.
it-had been known for a year or more,
| that league club was to be formed.
and it was generally agreed that 1t
would be good thing for the city. vet
| no one was ignorant all along that
every league club was accustomed to
play on Sunday. 1t would be dishon-
orable and unjust to suddenly object
now, when Comiskey had pledged him
self for the expenditure of many thous-
| ands.
IL the game were removed from it's
present location, it would be taken to
another part Of the city, and all who
like base ball would follow to the new
grounds. Certainly, it was only fair
10 give Comiskey a chance to show
Whether he can conduct an orderly
game. Some objection had arisen. to
the conduct of the crowd outside of
the call grounds during the game
Tn1s could be easily remedied with the
an OF the mayor and the police
Comlskey was a fair-minded. law
anld1lng citizen, and it was only just
that he should be given a chance TO
show what he could do.
j. c. Froberg observed that So for
as church members were concerned
there We're as many of them inside the
park last Sunday as of any other class
The games were certainly not a mis-
| ance
James Delaney explained that the
Workingman did not have time to sea
the game except on Sunday. Besides.
man sitting within the ball park
was sure to behave himself much bet
ter than if he was wandering around
| the streets visiting
SALOONS AND WORSE PLACES
Mothers and wives, knowing - that
their sons and husbands were at the
pall game, would have little cause to
worry about the latters' conduct for.
the time being. These sensible and
cogent statements provoked much an
plause.
DR.. Lyons reminded the union that
the abolition of base ball meant much
more than one might think. He UNDER
stood that Comiskey had taken a
lease OF the grounds for three years
at total rental of $4,000. In addition
he had constructed the grand stands
and the fence, and had pledged himself
to pay the salaries of the PLAYERS for
a full season. 1t would be unjust and
un-Christianlike to prevent his carry
ing out his present completed arrange
ments. IF this" exclaimed the doc
tor, "be the Christianity of the people
of st. Paul, 1 don't want any of it,
Surely Mr.. Lowry had no legal right
TO run his cars on Sunday, and the
cars are much greater nuisance
than base bail game. Yet, living as
he did alongside the car track. he
would be ashamed to attempt to pre-
vent the running of the cars, and so
keep many thousands of laboring men
from taking their Sunday excursions.
Looked at from gentlemanly, honor
able, Christian standpoint, there could
be no doubt that Comiskey should be
given an opportunity to conduct his
games, if only proper order was OBJ
served.
j. IL. Loomis could not understand
the attitude of the religious people.
He was himself a Christian He re-
spected the Christian religion, as no
doubt did every man present, but he
protested against a revival of any sys-
tenn of blue laws by which one man
might thrust his religious practices
upon his neighbor.
The following resolutions were then
presented by Judge Wood, and
| UNANIMOUSLY ADoPTED:z =
Whereas, Capt Comiskey has in
Cured great expense in leasing and fit