Evening star., 1897-01-01
S U N D AY MOI S E S
The Secular League to Oppose the News
boy Order.
Preparing for n Denomination In
Force Church Bells and Other
Sounds of the Sabbath Day.

The new police regulation adopted by
the District Commissioners yesterday af-
ternoon prohibiting the calling of news
papers on the streets Of this city Sunday
morning has given much satisfaction to
the ministers and others who have advo-
Gated it. On the other hand it has called
forth much opposition from among the
members of the Secular League.
Already members of that body have de-
termined upon holding mass meeting on
Sunday afternoon at Typographical Tenn
pie, when the matter will be discussed, and
some action will be taken looking to
furtt er opposition to the Commissioners
order If there is any way in which to de-
feat 1t. Resolutions will be adopted al this
meeting and plans will be formulated for
the future government Of the league on
this question. According to statements
made by leading members of the league
to Star reporter today 1t Is probable that
committee will be appointed to wait upon
the Commissioners and ask that all other
noises In addition to those made by the
CRYING OF newspapers by the boys be stop
ped on Sunday morning. this request be-
ing made with special view Of prohibit
ing the ringing Of church bells, which, It
will be claimed do more to disturb the
sleep during the early morning hours of
people residing in the neighborhood of
churches announcing their services
through the ringing of bells, than all the
noises made by newsboys in a month.
Mr.. William A. Croffut had a short con-
ference with Gen. William A. Birney on
this subject this morning and appears
highly indignant over the action of the
Commissioners. Speaking to a Star repor-
ter today Mr.. Croffut said:
The main objection asserted by the min
listers is that the noises made by these
boys interferes with the public worship,
put the police regulation which has been
ri for Io,,e
not permit the boys to cry their papers
except between the hours of and 1890
am. Sundays. AS most Of the services in
the churches here do not begin until IL
o'cicck 1t Is difficult to see why the enforce
ment OF this regulation would not do all
that the ministers desire. If there are OBJ
1ections to enforcing the regulation the
same ob1ec tions will hold with double force
IN regard to regulation preventing the
cailng OF the paperN altogether.
w Whetner 1t is intended or not the prac-
t1cal operation OF this regulation will be
IN the interest Of trust. If news stands
are established at street corners and Rev.
Mr Ennis intimated before the board of
commissioners yesterday afternoon that he
would not be opposed to such q solution
OF the question, it will result in the busi-
ness OF selling papers being thrown into
the hands OF the owners Of these stands
1t Is hardly worth while arguing that such
stands may be established and run by a
ten or twelve-year-old boy. whose sole
capital Is 80 cents or 81. The most likely
result would be that the stands would
come eventually under the control Of q
news company.
Il cannot see that this order of the Com
missioners IL anything less than an out
rage perpetrated upon these little boys
According to this regulation, every news
boy who calls his wares at any time on
Sunday Is to be arrested, hauled to court
and fined IS or sent to Jail when he has
no money.
rs it possible that such self-respecting
men as the Commissioners are going to
enforce this abominable and cruel order.
which. in moment of inadvertence, they
have issued?'