The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-12
THE OLD BLUE LAWS.
SOME THAT ARE STILL ON THE STAT
UTE BOOKS or NEW JERSEY.
Reasons Why. Though Out Of Date. They
Have Never Been Repeaied-Things 10
II Unlawful 30 DO on sundays-Csn't

Il Unlawful 30 DO on sundays-Csn'
kiss Your Sweetheart on the Street.
Jersey Is the blnest state In the Union
probably not even excepting Georgia, Del
aware or Connecticut, IL one judges by it,
J laws Not only have the famous blue
laws never been repealed, but an examina
ton of the records OF her police magistrates
shows that they are still in operation.
Common scolds are still liable TO fine
and II persistent may be imprisoned and
possibly subjected 10 good, old fashioned
ducking. Blasphemy and profanity are
still penalized, and only recently in Eliza
beth young man was arrested and fined
81 for kissing his sweetheart on the street.
The girl acknowledged the young fellow
as her true and only love, and that she
had allowed herself TO be kissed, believing
IL 10 be quite proper. The magistrate
said, "Not in Elizabeth.
| In Newark there used TO be a chain
stretched each Sunday morning across
| Clinton avenue on the Springfield road,
as 10 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 ex-
chainkeeper before he would say, "Pass
on"
Jersey offers slight encouragement TO
golfers. Time and again has a sancti-
monious justice of the peace warned would
be decorators that the Jail yawned for
them.
Orange had something of a sensation on
account of the willfulness 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 recrea-
ton.
The magistrate told them that in Orange
all recreation was unseemly on the Lord S
day. The community, he said, was God
fearing, and would not tolerate levity or
irreligion. 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 again. 1t costs 80 cents to swear
in Hackensack on Sunday if an officer of
the law is nigh. So all over the state II
the profanity was elaborate, the magistrate
will go sometimes as high as So, though
technically this would appear contrary to
the wording of the statutes.
Football on Sunday is expressly forbid
den, as are all ninepins, bowls and quoits
so is the merry game of flves, which seem
eth in this day to have fallen into innocu-
GUS desuetude.
According to the general statutes of the
state of New Jersey for 1895, under "vice
and immortality" it is declared not law
full to fish with hook or with a net on
the Lords day. Hunting is forbidden
nor may one fire of gun for Joy or for
any other reason. Work is forbidden ex-
cept such as is absolutely necessary or is
for charity, which must be patent to the
officer of the law. To cast a seine or draw
one or TO make use of one in any way Is
vicious and immoral. Driving is not to
be done. Especially are draymen, drovers,
carriers, wagoners AMI butchers TO beware
of unseemly acts such as driving sheep,
cattle or any animals.
1t is further stated that whereas public |
shows and exhibitions of divers kinds have
OF late been very frequent within the state,
whereby many strangers and worthless
persons have unjustly gained and taken |
to themselves tho money of the people, and
1t being found that such shows and exhi
billions tend to no good or useful purpose
in society, but, on the contrary, to gather |
together great numbers of idle and unsa-
worry spectators as well as children and serve |
TO corrupt their morals, such shows and |
exhibitions are forbidden"
These laws, which were approved by the !
state legislature as recently as March 81,
1874, expressly provide that liquor shall |
not be sold within three miles OF church,
and that milk shall not be peddled Sun
day mornings; neither shall any newspa-
pers bo issued. The words are, "It is I'M
lawful to print or sell newspapers and
milk on the morning of the Lord day."
Folk should not be on the streets later |
than 10 o'clock in the evening without such
good and sufficient cause as will justify
the act in the eyes of the magistrate.
Amusements are not good cause, nor is |
Witches are to be put to death
and drunkards into the stocks.
Monopolies and corners were not more J
popular in 1860 than now, for "engross- 1
ing merchandise is expressly prohibited.
1t was unlawful to buy up commodities in |
order to raise tho price more than was
justly due. The marked price of liquor |
and other necessities was established by |
the selectmen. Violation of the scale |
marked by them meant loss of license and |
81 fine.
Public sentiment in New Jersey does |
not take the blue laws very seriously. |
They have not been repealed, because they |
are thought to make for good rather than |
for evil and indeed to come i'm handily at |
times. Sunday In Hackensack, in Bogota |
and similar rural districts is still strictly |
observed, and the blue laws are we'll adapt |
ed to the intelligence and the religious |
views of such communities. There has not |
been serious discussion for repeal of these |
laws nor plea on their behalf They are |
let alone as much as possible to be called |
on In case of emergency but otherwise |
they are neglected. York Press.
Clever Smoke Device.