Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-20
SUNDAY DIVERSIONS.

nmusements which attract crowds of
people and are attended with more or
lees disturbance Of the peace. are be-
coming quite common and It IL urged
that they ought to be- suppressed. This
brinr- up the question u sunday laws
and sunday obscrvnnccr.
There il no question that the large
majority Of the people OF Utah In gem
.ral. and 81 Salt Lake. Ogden. Provo.
Logan. and other cities In particular.
are In favor Of such an Observance OF
the Sabbath day. aa will not do violence
60 the feelings Of people who regard
II as day " worship aH we'll a. rest
AZ the same time they do not desire to
be too extreme and rigid. 10 ~ 10 In
frinse upon the liberties Of the un.
dcyoui. The religious classes should
not be interfcrcd with In their sacred
obseryances and the other classes ought
not TO be restricted IN such freedom as
does not disturb their devotional neigh
borr.
The secular law protects the wor-
shipper by providing that unnecessary
labor. and riotous and noisy dlvcrrlonr.
shall not BE- permitted on sunday.
while statutes that used 20 be morr
stringent than the ptcscnt laws have
been repealed or modified. Il II mis-
take 10 suppose there are none left In
our present code.
A me Of twenty-five dollars IL the
maximum penalty for performing un.
necessary labor or business on sun
day. A fne Of not less than ave dol
lars nor more than one hundred dol.
lars. may be Imposed on any person
who Keeps open n place OF business
on sunday. Hotels, boarding houses,
baths. restaurants. tavcrna, livery
stables and retail drug stores are ox.
ccpied. Noisy amuscmcn,H ON sunday
are made n mludemeanor. which II pun
ishable by a fine of not more than three
hundrff dollars and imprisonment In
the county jail not more than six
monthn.--sce Revised Statutes Of Utah.
sections i21i.sS.
The duty OF enforcing those statutory
provisions outside Of the city limits dc.
wolves upon the sheriff ~ this county
and his deputle-. II l. 10 be hoped that
those officers win not shirk this rcspon-
siblilty.
The present ordinances Of Salt Lake
city are somewhat lame ana deficient
on this matter. and need some addl-
tlonr. Hut while there IL no direct or
dinancc against sunday amuscmen,s,
the game OF baseball or football or
other noisy diversion on sunday. can
be reached under disturbance " the
peace" and the guilty persons may be-
fined each one hundred dollars and be-
Imprisoned three months. The police
also have power to prevent such dis
turbances and thus preserve the public
peace.
The sentiment ~ the great bulk oi
the people II In favor Of q peaceahle
and rcHtful sunday one day In the
week !. needed ~ n period of rcpoae.
ment, 80 far ~ II goes. and II should
be enforced In a spirit OF fairness.
The Dcserct News will support every
conservative movement for the proper
observance Of the Sabbath In this city.
II regards the cndeayors of some
people TO turn II into a day Of
turbulence and noisy diversion with
the strongest reprobation. And whcr
persons claiming 10 be- members Of th'
Church indulge In the noisy recreation
that have been complained Of. We thini
the local Church authorities should
take their cases IN hand ana deal viii
them an the law " uod requires.
The Deaeret News has given account
Of base bail games that have taken
place on Sunday. Some have been
reported by telegraph from distant
points, and others In the vicinity ~ hi,
city. though outside OF municipal
limits. II has been lntlmated that this
Il encouragement OF such things by this
paper We view such an opinion az u
very strained effort 1T finding fault
No paper under the sun Is held re-
Hponaihle. by Intelligent people. Tor th'
deeds and dolngs which II records a'
news. \ little reflection We think VII
make that patent.
We are publishing q newspaper. and
sndeayoring 10 provide reading mnttoi
FOR an classes n the public. Those VIII,
do not take interest In base bah need
not read particulars about H. So viii
music, the dramn. society news. cycling
mining information. court reports. etc
Let each reader choose his own pahu'
lutu. and not desire 10 dictate what
other people shall read or pass by
Tlerc are subscribers to the neserei
News who care nothing Tor religion,
articles or reports. They have theii
predictions as wen as others. We de-.
sire TO publish the news and L, present
II In manner that VIII suit variety
OF tastes, without being offensive to ans
one who In not opposod TO facts, anc
who il willing for other people 10 en-,
Joy that In which they are personally
interested.
We do not think Il Ia wise or for IN,
general welfare 10 be puritanicnl, W.
would not have Sunday day ~ sucl
restraint that It viii be- a burden Il
young folks or bring gloom 10 Older
people, ''rhe sabbath was made Tor mar
and not man tor the sabbath" Hut w
believe In Its religious Observance In 1
proper spirit by religious people, ans