Evening star., 1898-02-25
FOR REST ON SUNDAY
Hearing in Committee on a Local
Measure.
WARMLY URGED AND OPPOSED
An Exhaustive Discussion of the
Bill.
GIST OF THE ARGUMENT
GIST OF THE ARGUMENT

the subject of a hearing today before q
subcommittee of the House District COM
mittee, consisting OF Representatives Shan
non, Sprague. Peters and Cowherd.
The bill provides that 1t shall not be law
full for any person to keep open any place
of business or maintain a stand for the sale
of any articles of profit during Sunday, ex-
cept venders of books or newspapers, and
apothecaries for the dispensing Of medi-
cines; and undertakers for the purpose of
providing for the dead or others for the
purposes of charity or necessity; nor shall
any public playing of foot ball. or bass
ball. or any other kind of playing, sports,
pastimes or diversion, disturbing the Ieace
and quiet Of the day, be practiced by any
person or persons within the District of
Columbia on Sunday; nor shall any build
ing operations or work upon railway con-
struction be lawful upon that day.
Violations of the law shall be punishable
by fine of from s. to $50. However, it
shall be sufficient bar to Il prosecution
for labor on the first day of the week that
the defendant uniformly keeps another day
Of the week a day of rest. auI that the
labor complained of was done in such a
manner as not to disturb other persons in
observing the first day of The week Us a
day of rest.
This act shall not be construed to pre-
vent the sale of refreshments other than
malt or spirituous liquors, or to prevent the
sale OF malt or spirituous liquors as now
provided for by law, or tobacco, cigars
railroad or steamboat tickets, or the collec-
ton and delivery of baggage.
MIR. Crafts Submits an Argument.
Mr.. Wilbur F. Crafts Superintendent of
the reform bureau, appeared in behan of
the bill. He submitted to the committee a
printed syllabus Of his arguments, as fol-
lows:
This bill is exactly what the District
Commissioners recommended in a letter to
District committees of Congress- dated
May Il, 1896. Such bill was asked for by
a representative union meeting of the
churches of the District on December g.
1895. And by Archbishop John j. Keane
in published letter dated March 16 1896.
Father D. j. Stafford also indorsed it in a
published letter dated February g. 1897.
Such law had previously been asked for
by Cardinal Gibbons in a letter dated De-
oember 4, 1883, published in Senate Docu-
ment No. 43. Fiftieth Congress, second ses-
sion page IS. in which he indorsed peti-
tion to Congress to stop Sunday work Save
works of necessity and charity in its whole
jurisdiction, including the District of Co.
lumbia.
This bill is in harmony with resolutions
OF the American Federation of Labor at the
1856 convention. The knights of Labor and
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers. in
their international conventions of 1885,
asked for such law by unanimous petit
tions to Forty-third Congress. The main
portion OF the bill, which forbids unneces-
sary Sunday traffic. is but a reproduction
OF law enacted by the city council of
Washington when it was self-governing, in
December, 1854, and observed with good
enect and general approval for twenty-five
years, until on July 5, 1887 ii was discoy
cred In re Stamford that the mayor at
the time of its enactment had inadvertently
failed to sign it. So far as this main nor
ton of the bill is concerned, congress is
only asked to correct a clerical error In
the Sunday laws of the District there is a
span gone Congress is not asked to enter
upon new class of legislation Ut has al
ready enacted four District Sunday laws.
but only to complete an unfinished lob.
The provision forbidding disturbing pub
lie amusements' (privacy Is not invaded) Is
really only part Of the law against traffic.
Tor selling amusements is business which
must stop with the rest. This provision, In
substance, is In force in most of the states.
all of which, save Idaho. protect the weekly
rest by law. The bill is asked for not on
the ground that the District is far gone in
sunday trafnc, but on the ground that such
trafnc is increasing. and that 1t is easier to
prevent than to repent, as clerks are learn
ing toe late in Chicago and Milwaukee and
many other places. where their efforts at
deiiverance from Sunday slavery have en-
ccuntered fixed rabit Of Sunday trading
There is on file in the District building q
list of forty-three places which l found
opel on Sunday morning March "a ISM
walking from the Capitol UP Pennsylvania
avenne to 7th street and up 7th to E, in
c,ucing sever gents furnishing stores, one
tailor. one jeweler. six grocers, one book
store. etc. -Four investigators sent out by
the Churchn ans League the next Sunday
hied similar proofs that the law Is needed"
He also Quoted a decision Of the United
States Supreme Court, which, he claimed
upholds Sunday laws.
Mr.. Gordon for the Churchman..
League.
Mr.. William A. Gordon followed in behalf
of the bill. representing the Churchman'S
League, an organization of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. He said that the league
had become aware of the violation of the
Sabbath in the city, and, after making in
estigation. a meeting of churchmen and
la!ty OF all denominations was called, at
which the necessity for remedial legislation
was set forth. The pending bill, he said
was an outcome of that meeting He said
the league does not ask that the liberties
OF any man shall be curtailed. but that the
sabbath shall be preserved from profana-
tion. He held that Sunday is distinguished
from other days of the week by various
laws and municipal regulations.
MI Gordon said that investigations by
the Churchman'S League had shown an
alarming increase in Sunday opening OF
business places within the last few years
MI W. r. Young said the people OF Wash
Ais ION want congress TO make the national
capital the model city Of the country.
Gen. Birney Opposes the Bill.
Gen. William Birney appeared in oppo-
sitfon to the bill. He began his argument
with the statement that person convicted
before the Police Court of the District, in
lieu Of fine is compelled to work on The
chain gang at the rate Of 33 1-3 cents
day. He said this was a chain-gang law
1t would apply to at least three religious
st cts in this District, the Seventh Day
Baptists, the Second Day Adventfsts and
the hebrews. Many of the followers of
these sects. Gen. Birney said, are poor
people, and il they are convicted they are
liable to chain-gang sentences ranging
from fifteen days to five months.
This is meant to be a chain-gsng law"
said Gen Birney to Mr.. Crofts. "and 1t viii
be enforced as such. You want these peo-
pie to believe as you do and act as you
want them to act on Sunday, and IL they
don't you will clap them In the chain gang.
And all this. you say. in behalf of brother
ly love and Christianity"
Gen. Bi-ney held that this bill proposes
new departure in legislation for the Dis
trict He said there was an old law of
King Charles II row on the statute books
OF the District Of Columbia which con-