Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-12
Open the Library sunday.

To the Editor OF The Evening Star:
Now that members OF the Congress have
enjoyed the holidays, and are, presumably,
In holiday humor, ii is TO be hoped that
they will take a favorable view OF the petit
ton asking that the new National Library
the botanical Garden ana the National
museum be opened on Sundays. Under the
present condition of affairs thousands of
alprecIatlve citizens are effectuaily shut OF
IRON all and any enjoyment OF the treas
ules contained in these places, since visit
to them means the loss OF a days labor
and, consequently, a days wages-which
loss has to De reckoned with at the end of
the Week.
But besides these sober, Industrious peo-
pie there are Others who should be con-
s:dered well. 1 mean those to whom re
naming quietly at home is torture. reading
cruel and unusual punishment, and sit
ting III church something not to De
thought of. Imagine what Sunday means
10 them. They drift around the streets
ana, hndlnS themselves cut off from all
Innocent amusement, they soon find the
open sesame, which sets ajar for them
The side door of the nearest saloon, and
thus take another step or two en- the down
ward course.
But" you will say, saloons are closed
on Sundays; the law requires it, The day
has not yet dawned in this city on which
any one who desired Il could not get all he
H&nted IN the way Of saloon products
provided he had the money to pay for
them. L had occasion ole Sunday 10 call
on a friend who lived beside one Of these
places, and during our conversation had
my attention attracted by peculiar click
ing noise which, my friend explained. was
caused by the pool playing next door. That
ca lanatlon set me TO thinking and inquir-
ing, and-well, L stand by my declaration.
AMI this makes me think that the dear
people who so earnestly try To lessen the
evil oil drink should give that petition their
full and hearty support. So far all their
energy seems to have been expended in
trying to prohibit unhoy enjoyment with
out, however. Offering in exchange an
equivalent which. while filling the aching
void left by the forbidden pleasure, would
also insensitly purify and elevate the
tastes OF those for whose welfare they
work so hard. In my humble opinion this
providing of rational and wholesome en-
Joyment is the best weapon with which TO
hght evil associations and bad habits, a
far more effe,t tive one. indeed, than any
edict of prohibition could possibly be- while
nan Is constituted as at present. We are
all more or less full of the old Adam and
inherit his hankering after forbidden fruit
However little We may care to eat sauer
kraut, for instance, once let law be passed
FOL bidding the use of 1t, and, 1 verify be-
Heve within month the demand would
be miles beyond the supply and every
farmer with a cabbage patch a full-iedged
criminal.
No; the old adage concerning the neces-
sity of fighting a certain Individual with
nre was built upon a solid foundation of
fact, and should teach us that the way 10
make low, so-called pleasures unpopular is
to offer something the enjoyment of which
leaves no sting behind. And the best way
to do this is to open the doors to these
national treasure houses of nature, art and
literature, and make all, poor as well as
rich. welcome all the year round.
January 8. 1895. MISS BROWN"