The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-05
THE OLD BLUE LAWS.
SOME THAT ARE STILL ON THE STAT
UTE BOOKS OF NEW JERSEY.

Reasons Why, Though Out of Date. They
Have Never Been Rcpcalcd-ThinEs 1t
Is Unlawful to Do on Sundays-Can't
Kiss Your Sweetheart on tho Street.
Jersey is the blucst state in tho Union.
probably not even excepting Georgia, Del
aware or Connecticut, if one judges by its
laws. Not only have the famous blue
laws never been repealed, but an examina-
ton of tho records of her police magistrates
shows that they are still in operation.
Common scolds are still Liable to flno
and If persistent may DO imprisoned and
possibly subjected to good, old fashioned
duoking. Blasphemy and profanity arc
still penalized, and only recently in Eliza
beth young man was arrested and fined
So for kissing his sweetheart on the street
Tho girl acknowledged the young fellow
as her true and only love, and that sho
had allowed herself to be kissed, believing
it to be quite proper. Tho magistrate
said, "Not in Elizabeth
In Newark there used to be chain
stretched each Sunday morning across
Clinton ayonuo on the Springfield road,
rs it was called. An officer of the town
stood guard and allowed no vehicles to
pass except they were bound for church or
some mission of mercy or great necessity.
The mercy and necessity had to be en-
planned to the entire satisfaction of tho
chainkccpor before no would say, pass
on"
Jersey offers Slight encouragement to
golfers. limo and again has n sancti-
monious Justice of the PEACE warned would
DO dcsccrators that the Jail yawncd for
them.
Orange had something of n sensation on
account of tho willfulncss of certain ten
mis- players who persisted in playing on
Sunday. They said they had no other day
to devote to the game. Six days they
worked hard in the city, and on the
seventh they were qualified to enjoy rest
Rest for them explicitly implied rccrea-
ton.
The magistrate told them that in Orange
all recreation was unsecmly on the Lord s
day The community, ho said, was God
fearing, and would not tolerate lcvity or
irrcligion. II they wished to play tennis
on Sunday, they must go elsewhere. and
to enforce this suggestion upon their
minds he fined them each So
Swearing has got men into trouble
time and ngain. 1t costs 80 cents to swear
in Hackensack on Sunday if an officer Of
the law is nigh. So all over the state. If
the profanity was elaborate, tho magistrate
will go sometimes as high as So, though
the wording of the statutes.
Football on Sunday is expressly forbid
den, as arc all nincpins, bowls and uuoits:
so is the merry gamc of fives, which seem
9th i'll this day TO have fallen into innocu-
Gus desuctudc.
According to the general statutes of the
stdto of New Jersey for 1895, under "vico
and immortality, it is declared not law
ful to fish with Il hook or with net on
the Lords day. Hunting is forbidden;
nor may one fro off II gun for Joy or for
any other reason. Work is forbidden OK
cept such Us is absolutely necessary or is
for charity, which must be patent to the
officer of the law. TO cast IL seine or draw
ono or to mako use of one in any way is
vicious and immoral. Driving is not to
DC done. Especially arc uraymCn, drovcrs,
| carriers, wagoncrS AMI butchers to beware
of unsccmly acts such rs driving sheen.
| cattle or any animals.
| 1t Is further stated that "whcrcas public
shows and exhibitions Of divers Kinds have
| OF lnto been very frequent within the state,
| whereby many strangers and worthless
| persons have uniustly gained and taken
TO themselves the money of the people, and
| 1t being found that such shows and cxhi
billions tend To no good or useful purpose
J in society but, on tho contrary. to gather
| together great numbers OF idlo and uns;i-
worry spectators as well rs children and serve
to corrupt their morals, such shows and
| exhibitions arc forbidden"
These laws, which were approved by the
| state legislature as recently as March ~
| 1871, expressly provide that liquor shall
not DC sold within three miles Of ii church.
and that milk shall not he pc,ldlcd Sun
day mornings; neither shall any ncwspa-
| pers DC issued. The words are. 1t is un
| N np Il
milk on tho morning of tho Lords day .
! Folk should not be on tho streets later
than 10 oclocll III the evening without such
! good and sufficient cause us will Justify
the act in the eyes Of tho magistrate
| AmuscnicntS arc not good cause, nor is
courtship. Witches arc to he put to death
and drnl;ards into the stocks.
| MCnopolics and corners wcrc not more
| popular in 1860 than now, for ''cngroSs-
| ing merchandise is expressly prohibited.
1t was unlawful TO buy mp commodities in
order to raise the price more than was
| justly due. Tho marked price of liquor
ana other necessities was established by
| tho sclcctmcn. Violation OF the scale
marked by them meant loss OF license and
! 81 fine.
| Public sentiment in New Jersey docs
| not take the huo laws very seriously
| They have no; been repealed, BECAUSE they
are thought IL make ior good rather than
for evil, and indeed to como in handily at
tiWcS. sunday in lInckcnsncb, in Bogota
and similar rural districts is still strictly
observed and tho blue laws arc well adapt
| ed TO tho intelligence and the religious
vicws OF such communities. There has not
been serious discussion for repeal of these
laws nor plea OIL their bohnlf They are
let alono as much rs possible to be called
in Of
they arc neglected. New York Press.