The record-union., 1895-09-23
ROYAL BAKrNu POWDER

informed the Mayor that they were run
ming the electric plant and would continue
to run it and furnish light tor the
churches and street lamps.
Frustrated again, the Mayor took las
desperate stand. He would stop the
cook ing of meals by ordering the natural
gas men to cut off the supply and &C
home. In Charlottesville natural gas il
used by ninety mine families out OF q
hundred for cooking purposes, and is
used for fuel at the city electric light plant
aud artificial gas and water works. So
if the natural gas could be cut off the
Mayors victory would be complete.
But the natural gas men refused to shut
down and the citizens didn't go hungry.
At the Mayors cigar store, and at TIVE
other cigar stores, Sunday papers wert
usually kept on sale, but on this Sunday
not a single copy of any Sunday paper
was on sale at either of these places. Sew
eral hundred copies of the Sunday issues
of Chicago, indianapolis and Cincinnati
papers are sold in Charlottesville every
Sunday. When the Chicago train arrived
in the afternoon there were several hun
dred persons at the depot ready to buy a
paper of the train newsboy. The news
boy at first thought he was going to reap
harvest, but he had only sold one paper
when he was placed under arrest.
The restaurants ana hotels kept open as
usual, but the former only served meals.
a large quantity ofice-cream was allowed
to melt because the proprietors were
afraid TO sell il, and several dinner parties
in the city that day were minus their
usual Sunday dessert. The names OF
every restaurant-k eeper and their wait
ers, as well as the hotel people, were put
down upon the list and turned over to The
league.
The milkmen kept up their usual vo-
cation," as they claimed their business
came under the head Of necessity and
mercy" There were many babes de-
pending upon their every meal from the
milk mon, and the failure TO deliver milk
would have been serious affair for them.
Yet the Mayor had ordered the milk men
not TO make their rounds, and thus great
number of persons would have been put
to serious trouble and suffering. This.
the Mayor calculated, would have set
public opinion against the law and would
help to prevent It's enforcement in the
future.
Thus the first Sunday passed away, and
by Monday morning the citizens gen
orally were thoroughly aroused against
the enforcement OF the law. The league
members charged the Mayor with killing
the enforcement oil the law by his attempt
W StOp oSSly hIuu Ol DuSlUGSS Without
any reference as to whether or not il
comes under the head of necessity and
mercy" In consequence the stores were
open as usual the following Sunday.
The name of every person found on the
memorable Sunday following his usual
avocation was handed To the league for
prosecution. By this means the Mayor
shifted the responsibility OF the prosecu-
ton from himself to the league. The
-, L.
law vioiator brought before him, and he
can assess the fine. but by giving the
names to the league the matter will come
before the Grand Jury and the Mayor
will thus escape responsibility.
There are hundred names in the
hands of the league of persons who were
found working on that Sunday. and the
league will either have to ask the Grand
Jury to investigate and bring charges, or
the entire Sunday CLOSING movement in
Charlottesville is at an end. On the
other hand, if persons are fined for SELL
ing milk or keeping open a restaurant,
public indignation will be very apt to
down the league, and the Mayor can
stand aside and laugh at the dilemma
into which he has thrown every person
by his arbitrary position.
Among those whose names were
handed 10 the league were Councilman
brick support to keep the water works
stand-pipe from falling over. They kept
at work during this Sunday because the
foundation OF the stand-pipe was settling
and was liable to cave in.
The Mayor has been member of the
Methodist Church for many years. Two
weeks ago the Methodist minister took
him to task for his attempt 10 too Sc
verely enforce the law, and thus bring
about reaction against it's enforcement.
The minister denounced him so fiercely
that the Mayor withdrew from the
church.
AS things now stand in Charlottesville
the city has resumed its former status,
and the groceries, meat marke cts and drug
stores are open part OF the time on Sun
days, and the Mayor hands IN no more
names to the league of persons who fol-
lowed their usual vocations." The
electric-light. gas and water-works hands,
milkmen, hotel and restaurant Keepers
all work Oh Sunday, just as they did be-
fore the league and the Mayor locked
horns over the enforcement of the law of
1853.
Subsequently the business mon held a
meeting, at which they expressed them
selves as opposed to the manner in which
the Mayor had attempted to carry out the
law. IL was the universal opinion that
the Mayors course was damaging TO the
city, and while the business men favored
the general observance of the law they
did not favor extreme enforcement This
meeting was the means of bringing the
Mayor to his senses in the matter and
during the past two Sundays the Mayor
has paid no attention 10 the law what
ever, except that he has kept his cigar
stand closed. New York World