Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-02-06
THE OLD BLUE LAWS.
SOME THAT ARE STILL ON THE STAT
UTE BOOKS OF NEW JERSEY.

Kiss Your Sweetheart on the Street.
Jersey is the blucst state in the Union.
probably not oven excepting Gcor2ia, Dol
aware or Connecticut, if one judges by it's
laws. Not only have the falnous blue
laws never been repealed. but Al %exalnina-
ton of the records of her police magistrates
shows that they arc still in operation.
Common scolds are still liable to fine
and if persistent may be imprisoned and
possibly subjected to u good, old fashioned
ducking. Blasphclny and profanity arc
still ponaliZcd, and only recently in Eliza
beth Il young ma was arrested and fned
s. FOR Kissing his sweetheart on the street.
The girl acknowledged the young fellow
rs her true and only love, and that she
lad allowed herself to be kissed, believing
it to he quite prOper The magistrate
said. "Not in Elizabeth"
III Newark there used to be a chain
stretched each Sunday morning across
Clinton avenue on the Springfield road,
us 1t 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 e1-
i;lincu to the entire satisfaction Of tho
~ci:aink@cpor before he would say, PAS
On"
jersey offers slight encouragement to
]p"lf,rs. limo and again has u snncti-
iL"nioUs justice of the peace warned would
be dcsccrators that tho Jail yawnod for
them.
Orange had something of n sensation on
account of tho 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
SrSrnfH fhry Jx-n,c c,,u1ifI1.S r., ~ ;,- ,,,.&
Rest for them explicitly implied rccrea-
ton.
The magistrate told them that in Orange
oil recreation was u%nsecmly on tho Lords
day. The community, he said, was God
fearing, and would not tolerate lcvity or
i1religion. If they wished to play tennis
on Sunday, they must go elsewhere, and
to enforce this suggestion upon their
minds he fined them each IS.
Swearing has got men into trouble
time and again. 1t costs so cents to swear
i'll Hackensuck on Sunday If an officer of
the law isniEh. So all over the state. If
the profanity was elaborate, the magistrate
Will go sometimes as high as So, though
technically this woul appear contrary to
the wording of the statutes.
Football on Sunday is expressly forbid
den, rs are all nincpins, bowls and quoits;
SO is the merry game of 1ivcs, which seem
eth III this day to have fallen into iunocu-
Gus 1cSuctudc.
According to the general tatutcs of the
state of New Jersey for 1895, under tvicc
and immortality, " it is declared not law
full to fish with q hook or with n net on
the Lords day. Hunting is forbidden;
nor may one fire off a gun for joy or for
any other reason. Work is forbidden cx-
ccpt such as is absolutely necessary or is
for charity, which must be patent to the
officer of the law. To cast u seine or draw
one or to mako use of ono in any way is
vicious and immoral. Driving is not to
be zone. Especially are draymcn, drovcrs,
carriers, wagoucrs nnl butchers to beware
of unsccmly acts such as driving sheep,
cattle or any animals.
1t is further stated that 'whcrcas public
shows and exhibitions of divers kinds have
of lntc been very frequent within the state,
whereby many strangers and worthless
persons have unjustly 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
III society, but. on the contrary, to gather
together great numbers of idle and unsa-
worry spectators AS well as children and servo
to corrupt their morals, such shows and
exhibitions are Forbidden"
These laws, which were approved hy the
state legislature us recently as March 27,
1874, expressly provide that liquor shall
not he sold within three miles of IL church.
and that milk shall not be peddlcu sun.
day mornings; neither shall any ncwspa-
pcrs DO issued. The words are, 1T is un.
lawful to Print or sell newspapers and
milk on the morning of the Lords 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 tho eyes of tho magistrate.
Ahnscmcnts arc not good cause, nor is
cnurtship. Witches arc to be put to death
and d~runkards into tho stocks.
MonopolicS and corners were not moro
popular in 1860 than now, for Congress.
ing merchandise is expressly p"nhihited.
1t was unlawful to buy up commodities in
order to raise the price more than was
justly due. Thc marked price of liquor
nllu other necessities was established by
the sclcctnlcn. Violation OF tho scale
marked by them meant loss Of license and
81 fine.
Public sentiment in New Jersey does
not take the hluG laws very seriously.
They hnvo not been repealed, because they
are thought to mako for good rather than
for evil, and indeed to come In handilv mt
times. Sunday in I~lnckensnck, in Boyota
ana similar rural districts is still strictly
observed, and the blue laws arc well adnpt-
cd to tho 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 rs possible to be called
on IN case of emergency, but otherwise
they arc neglected.-Ncw York Press.
Clever Smoke Device.