The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-06
SPECIAL SUNDAY LAWS.
One After Another tho Intolerant Blue
 Laws Hnve Disappeared.

~-'NWo NAFNN ASA9eal'PN+A~
 The bill has passed both houses re-
 pealing the old law that has been in
 force since 1751s giving justices of the
 peace summary power in sentencing per
 sons charged with profane swearing,
 cursilng or Sabbath breaking. The bill
 continuing the advance that has been
 made by the present legislature by re-
 pealing the provision in the general
 statutes which has for a. hundred years
 or more denied the right of appeal from justices decisions in cases Of profana-
 tion of the Sabbath and swearing has
 been reported favorably from the judici-
 ary committee, and will be passed with out question. This legislation cannot
 be seen in its true meaning without a
 review, at least, of the old Sunday laws
 that dominated the state at the begin
 ming of the century.
 The revision of the general statutes,
 which was made in 1908, contains a mass
 of Sunday enactments, applying to per
 sonal conduct, that would not now be
 tolerated for an hour, Under the revis-
 ion in question all persons were requir-
 ed to apply themselves carefully to the
 duties of religion and piety on the
 Lords day, and there was a fine of 50
 cents for not attending church. This
 law in general was adopted in the col
 onial revision of 1702, being modelled
 from an act of Massachusetts relating
 to the observation of the Lords day. passed in 1892
 l The provision fining person for not attending church was repealed in May, 1914. No vessels were allowed to sail from any Connecticut port or harbor on l Sunday, or to pass any town or society I on the Connecticut river where worship
 was in progress. Concerts of music on | Sunday were prohibited by the revision
 of 17S4. The old "Presbyterian" idea of
 keeping Saturday night, no work being l allowed after sunset, was embodied In a
 statute as early as 1702, being copied | from Massachusetts law. Idling was
 not allowed in public inns after sun
 down on Saturday. and drinking was
 likewise prohibited.
 The neglect of offenders to pay the
 fines imposed was punished by whip ping, the stripes not to exceed twenty in number. The provisions authorizing the whipping of such offenders was re- pealed in October, 1912. Children under fourteen years of age were to be pun ished by their parents for proclamation of the Sabbath or Lords day. In case the parents neglected to infiict the pun ishment they were subjected to a fine of 30 cents. No traveller, drover, wag- goner or teamster was allowed to travel on Sunday. The maximum fine for the offense was $3.34. Half of that amount was the minimum fine Eighty-four cents was the penalty for each person meeting with others in companies, or for going from place to place except to attend upon the public worship of God or some work of necessity or mercy
 Dancing and concerts of music on Sunday were prohibited by the revision of 17S4. In 1753 a law was passed for bidding the warnings of meetings ot A secular character to be placed on the doors of meeting houses on Sunday. The law regulating the sailing of ves- sells was adopted eight years earlier. The courts held that offenders against Sunday laws were not entitled to trial by jury. A note given on the Sabbath day was void It was held that an ap- prentice compelled to violate the Sab hath was not bound to remain with his employer.
 In the revision of 1858, travellers, drov- CTS. waggoners and teansters were al- lowed to travel on Sunday from "neces- | sity or charity" Games, play and rec reation were expressly prohibited. But inc United States mail was allowed | under this revision to be carried through | the state on the Lords day. It was | this revision also that first recognized | the Seventh Day Baptists, the law | providing that persons honestly and | conscientiously observing Saturday as | day of worship should not be amend | ble to the Sunday statutes.
 It was not until 1888 that the law | prohibiting servile labor and recreation on days appointed for public fasting | and Thanksgiving, under fine, was re- pealed The courts wrangled over evil dence admissible to show intent of rid ing on the Sabbath and grand jurors on sight, arrested and detained offend- CTS against the Sunday laws.
 The revision of 1866 even retained the provision authorizing the churches to appoint each two "tYthingmen" annual ly to attend to carrying out the Sunday statutes. The general revision of the statutes since 1908 have notably shown a. diminishing series of Sunday enact ments, until now the whole can be en- braced in four specific passages. The revision of 1887 contains only four laws, brief, clear and explicit, under the title of Sunday laws, The only obnoxious |. in the series have now been expunged or will be in a few days.
 The attempt to modify the railroad statutes, authorizing the running of Sunday excursion trains, has not met with any favor. Vice President John VI. Hall, who represents the public sen iment thoroughly, stated before the Ii committee, Thursday, that the Consoli- : lated road does not care to go into the Sunday excursion business. The whole ,ol1rse of the Consolidated road on the Sunday problem has been conservative, the necessity for .reasona- ,le laws in governing Sunday work.
 The managers of the road from the yutset have been averse to the Sunday xcursion idea Back in the old days, { yhen only single car through to New | York was run on Sunday, they dis outraged local travel by selling only ne price tickets, the passenger being equired to pay as much to Meriden r New Haven as he would to New yorl1 on that day, None of the Sunday