The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
UNDER Blue LAW AGAIN.
o0NNECTIOUT's NEW SUNDAY ACT
IN FORCE TO-DAY.

stricily-Snid TO Be n CONGREGATIONAL Meas
ure-PostIon OF Jewish Citirens Under n.
New HAVEN, July 1.-THE new Connecticut
Sunday law is to go into effect to- morrow. This
law is as blue rs any OF tho real or imaginary
statutes Of tho Commonwealth In Colonial days.
and, IL enforced, will rcSstablish tho historical
Connecticut Sabbath. And there is reason.
moreover, to believe that 1t will be enforced.
Tho law provides that on and after tomorrow
no secular labor or amusement of any kind shall
be allowed, except for purely merciful and nee
essary ends. 1t specifically provides that from
IL o'clock tonight until II o'clock tomorrow
night no shop, warehouse, manufacturing, or
mechanical establishment shall DO kept open;
that no property shall be exposed for sale, and
that no sport Of any kind shall bo INDUCED in.
The penalty for violation Is placed at mot more
than $780,"
This law, when proposed In tho General As
sembly last winter. occasionod wide comment
and alarm. 1t was looked upon as one of the
most remarkable enactments proposed in recent
years. and was especially opposed on the ground
that IL would place Connecticut in an %unfortu-
nate and discreditable light. 1t was well known
that the statute was inspired by tho Congrega-
tional churches of tho State, which had long
sought to work a reform in this respect. II was
argued that tho most ordinary diversions would
be prohibited. All tho fruit stands and leo
cream and soda parlors would have to be closed.
1t would DO impossible to buy a cigar, and troll
Icy rides and Sunday excursions would be for
hidden. Sunday newspapers could not be
sold, and tho business Of tho bootblack
would DO tabooed. or course tho grocery
stores and milk dealers, who had hith-
erto done a fourishing Sunday morning
business. would have to forego their trade; and
such a thing as n Sunday shave would be per-
Missile to no law.abiding man. The Legisla-
ture and its Judiciary Committee ttcmpto to
quiet public fears by an explanation which was
accepted at the time, but has lost some of its
plausibility since. 1t was declared that the new
law must not be taken too seriously or too liter.
ally; that n liberal margin would be granted to
local authorities in its enforcement. Attention
was called to the fact that there was already
upon the books a law equally severe, and that it
years. 1t was generally assumed that the law,
therefore,. was hardly passed in good faith, and
that Its most enthusiastic supporters had littlc
hope or expectation that its provisions would be
During tho last few days. however. the atti-
seems to have changed. Tho new statute for
mally became a law on Thursday. and the first
be tomorrow. The authorities In the different
towns and cities have been ocsieged by inquircrs
and the small dealers and merchants concerned
ness viii be interfered with. It is rcmem.
which tine present is but an amendment. has
been a dead letter for several years, there
ago it was impossible TO buy tonpefanco
s5!nk' suns iss-er sn sun aFnit' eS Se G1S'e sa. the be,
present law forbids tho sale OF confectionery
and temperance beverages before II o'clock sun
day night. and In this respect is much more
severe than the old statute. For the most part
the city attorneys and prosecuting officers are
City Attorney Culver Of Middletown has been
the most outspoken up to the present time. He
ter. believing that this Is the only way to secure
It's repeal at the next session Of the Legislature.
Gbay adit t e he n Viii i take G no n radiesi s,c ps: that ant
his treatment Of the statute will depend upon
circumstances. II the Sunday law is fragrant
the way OF enforcement, and he adds that he
will be unable to disregard any complaints he
City Attorney Brown of New Haven is per.
haps in the most unfortunate position OF all.
cupIed his present ofice a littio more than a
month. There Is a strong sentiment In New
Haven demanding Observance OF the new statute.
vigorously for its enforcement. and the religious
sentiment OF the town is cmphatically on their
quests for the rigid application OF the law, sew
eral from, peculiar sources. lie, has been seri-
ously embarrassed. for example. by the requests
OF the BARRIERS. For several years there has been
n bitter feud between the downtown shaving es-
adjustments and those in the by streets. on the
subject OF sunday closing. The more expensive
places have attempted to bring about a Sunday
closing OF all the shops. but the desire has not
been general. and, therefore, all have been
obliged to keep open on Sunday morning. The
more PROSPEROUS BARRIERS have now seized upon
city attorney has received visits from several
delegations demanding that the law. as regards
no doubt That tho BARRIERS will push their de-
mand, and it is hard to sec how, IL formal COM
plants IT. are entered they Il y can be diSrsssraod;
Haven Mt Toast the law will not be n dead lettor.
Il will be impossible for Prosecutor Brown TO
Disregard it, even though he SO desired; and II
Is not believed. that he Is disposed in that way.
He has himself declared that 1t was his purpose
TO enforce the laws. and not TO %critiCisc them: :"
and his policy is believed to DO su efficiently indi-
Gated in this remark. New Haven has IA greater
int Interest ssw in the ss stptq T. than ss 9iiny o5ho Ib GanP 9Ssr.
insist '0y Tpon IRas oSserva G'Ss1sni The "n law, VIII Il!
y ser at the request Of leading congreGat lt%
alists in this and other cities. and 1t Is manifest
deavors to purify the moral atmosphere of the
State, and that thoy Will take care that tho
authorities shall regard the law. Tho reason
Legislature was that the old law had become a
dead letter and they wished it revived. 1t has
been revived in n more stringent form. in that
the penalty is increased from 81 to $50. and that
the prohibitions apply to Sunday evening,
whereas formerly they were not operative after
Another feature of the case has aroused gen.
1t is believed by some people that ii Is directei
principally against Jews, who do not observe tho
Christian Sabbath. Whether its congregational
supporters were actuated by such a desire is by
no means proved. but the idea has gained con.
siderable strength. After tho passage OF the
original act, several years ago. a special meas
ure WAS passed for the benefit OF those citizens
who were accustomed to observe some other day
than Sunday as their Sabbath. All Jews, there
fore, have been permitted TO carry on their reg
ular business on Sunday. with the understand.
ing that they should close on Saturday.
The new laws end with q provision to tho
effect that any law Inconsistent with the pres
ent law, Is repealed" Lawyers say that the
Is surely inconsistent with the latest enact.
ment; and that consequently both Jews and
Christians will DO obliged TO refrain from secu.
lar employment on the first day OF the week.
1t looks as II the City Attorney OF New Haven
at least would have his hands full during the
next few weeks. 1t is evident. however, that he
T. determined TO proceed slowly. 1t is not
likely that he will cause any wholesale arrests.
but will deal with each circnmstance by ItselE.