Evening star., 1897-01-14
SUNDAY AND THE NEwsBoYs.
With Some Remarks Also on IL
Subject of Bells.

With Some Remarks Also on the
Subject of Bells.
The newsboy question is still under de-
bate. The discussion has taken in church
bells and other matters, as well as the cries
of newsboys Sunday morning. Mr.. G. NJ.
Wood evidently believes in suppressing the
newsboy altogether. He writes to The
Star:
The order of the District Commission
ers forbidding the crying of newspapers
! on the streets on Sunday is good thing,
but 1t does lot go far enough; it should be
so extended as to cover the other six days
Of the week also. Why should this noisy
ard annoying practice of hawking and SELL
Ing newspapers on the streets be permitted
here at the national capital, which ought
to be model city, undisturbed by street
cries of any kind? Itnerant bootblacks
were once offensive as these newsboys
but in most cities they have been sup
pressed. Yet one is here still beset-as-
saulted, almost-by dirty urchins, black
and white, who, with hands long unwash-
ed, thrust newspapers into ones face, Of
ten obstructing the way, and always add
Ing their noisy cries to the other noises of
the street, thus increasing the danger to
pedestrians from passing vehicles. Statis-
tics of prisons show that criminal life Of
ten begins with street life. Certainly this
peddling of newspapers prevents these
boys from receiving proper education or
industrial training. Let these lads be sent
to schools or to workshops. A really great
newspaper does not need to be hawked
about the streets. There are numerous
places where newspapers are sold, and If
there are not enough of these, more can
be added. A petition to the Commission
ers asking that the street sale Of news
papers be entirely prohibited is now beir G
circulated"
"A. G. H. writes: "I want to say word
in regard to church bells. 1 was patient
in Columbia Hospital In the winter months.
md arnd f1xyh hry%
Stephens Church bells at 6 am After
nights of suffering, getting quiet toward
morning and In a sound sleep. l was sud-
denly awakened at am, while quite dark,
Why Is this permitted? Is there no remedy
for this evil? have a friend who lives in
the rear of a church, who is suffering from
the same trouble as 1 did. If the newsboys
noise on the streets (Which 1 heartily ap-
p1ove), why are we to suffer from the
church bells at such unreasonable hours? I
wonder the hospital doctors and others do
not protest. I think I voice the senti-
ment Of other sufferers"
w. h. Prttchett, in g. letter discussing
the moral aspect Of the Sunday newsboy
question, says: For much of our Sabbath
desecration ministers and members of
Christian churches are responsible and If
our ministers will not cry out against this
great evil. and II religious papers do not.
then laymen must resort to secular papers
io,,"s a,n US Peopie OF the danger of popu-
iarlzing the principles of. the champions of
the newsboys at Wizards Hall on last
thursday evening. Again l say, Let not
our friends be drawn into this whirlpool by
the deceitful sophistry of the newsboys' ad-
vocates at Wizards Hail. Do We do they
not know that Sabbath toll is Unsuitable.
and VIII grow by what it feeds on and ever
cry Give! Give!' until 1t gets everything?
ihe Sabbath spirit will die out; the
thoughts of higher, better life perish
from the minds of men, absorbed, harassed,
fatigued by ceaseless pursuits Of toll and
qualification Of appetite"