The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-06
A MATTER OF MORALS
The Sunday Closing Dis
cusSiOn Continued
The CIGAR Dealers PROTEST
Against the Shutting Up OF
Their Places
LEGAL ARGUMENT GIVEN
A Vigorous Protest Against Street
Preaching at Central Park
Residents Of the Vicinity Say 1t Has Become
an Unbsarable Nuisance
Weekly Heeting Of the Fire Commissioners.
Specifications for the New Engine-house
1Iaae ed
Routine Business
A Vigorous Protest Against Stree
Preaching at Central Park
Residents Of the Vicinity Say II Has Become
an UnbsarabIe Nuisance

The committee on public morals of the
city council held another session in the
room of the board of public works at
the city hall yesterday afternoon. Chair
! man Kingery was promptly on hand at
the appointed time, as were also Coun-
cilmen Savage and Stockwell the other
two members. Councilmen Pessell and
other membrs of the council dropped in
during the session.
The proposed Sunday closing law WAS
taken up. and Attorney James P. Garri-
son, representing the retail cigar deal
ers. addressed the committee in opposi-
ton to the proposed measure. Mr.. Gar
rison also presented numerously
signed petition protesting against any
Sunday legislation, and argued at length
on that line from legal standpoint
Mr.. Garrison said that such law as was
proposed was clearly unconstitutional,
and could not be sustained in the courts
The council had no right to pass such
an ordinance as was asked for, for the
reason that it was in conflict with the
state law, and the courts had declared
that such legislation by municipal bod
les was unconstitutional.
Rev. w. T. Knox, the Seventh Day Ad-
ventist minister, followed Mr.. Garrison,
also in opposition to the proposed ordi-
nance. Mr.. Knox has frequently ap-
peared before the council on this same
subject. He repeated the arguments
heretofore advanced. claiming that the
law asked for was unconstitutional and
that the council had no right to pass it.
even if 1870 citizens had aslSd
for 1t. He insisted that Sunday legisla-
ton was used against the members of
his faith, and that if it was a sort of
religious persecution, in proof of which
he referred to the fact that in Tonnes
see Seventh Day Adventists had been
convicted and sentenced to long terms on
the Changing for exercising their right
of conscience. In the big city of Chicago
only four violations of the Sunday law
could be found and by singular CO.
incidence these four were Sabbath keep
ers. He insisted tEot all Sunday legis-
lation was not only uncivil but unchris-
tan. Christianity means love, and sell
hshness, not love, was at the bottom of
this agitation. Mr.. Knox further con-
tended that the clerks who had signed
this petition were not oppressed and
that but few of them were compelled to
work on Sunday anyway. A canvass
of the city had been made several Sun
days ago, and but 131 clerks were found
at work. On inquiry. the majority OF
these men did not favor Sunday clos
ing, for the reason that in some instan.
ces this work was all they had. He al
so said that if this ordinance was en-
! acted it would close up various small
places in the suburbs, and throw the
keepers. many of whom We're invalids,
| on the charity of the city.
| Chairman kingery then asked if there
was anyone present who desired to say
! anything. and receiving no response.
filed in the nv tp11f1o CT Ir
| point of the story was not very clear
in the connection in which it was mar
! rated. but everybody laughed as in
] duty bound, and when the merriment
| had subsidized, the business was re-
sumed.
Ed Booth, representing the Clerks as
| sociation. then spoke in favor of the pro-
| posed ordinance. This matter was not
| one of religion, but of right. The or
dinance asked for did not prevent any
man from doing any necessary work;
all that was wanted was to shut of
| trading with the public.
| How many of the clerks that signed
| that petition work on Sunday?" asked
Mr.: Savage. 7 have made canvass
and L can't find one"
| Mr.. Booth gave one or two names
| and said there We're others, to which
Mr. Savage replied that that might be
SO; he went to church every Sunday
| morning, ana that was probably the
| reason that he had not seen them.
Getting down to facts again, Mr. Saw
age said that the small dealers in his
ward We're opposed to the proposed
ordinance, as Sunday was their best
Gay. He had interviewed them, and
knew that these We're their sentiments
This closed the discussion and the
matter was taken under advisement
The city attorney will be consulted, and
a report will probably be presented at
the neXt meeting.
STREET PREACHING
Chairman Kingery them laid before
the committee a petition signed by
thirty-one residents of the neighbor-
hood, asking that the street preaching
at Central park be suppressed, The pc
titioners say that the preachers have
oecome an intolerable nuisance. COM
mencing at 10 o'clock in the morning
and continuing until 10 o'clock at night.
IT is stated that there are numerous
inNalids in the hotels and boardns
houses in the vicinity. who are greatly
annoyed by the disturbance created.
The city attorney was sent for to as
certain if there was any law covering
the matter complained of. That officer
was not in, and the whole matter was
referred to the chief of police, after
l n n a NJ - ! I f..