The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-06-07
LATE SATURDAYS.
Saturday Night Business Hours.
SHOULD CLOSE AT 10 O'CLOCK.
Rev. Nj. L. Kesler in Rocky Mount Motor.

Rev. Nj. L. Kesler in Rocky Mount Motor
Rocky Mount is making gratifying
progress in many ways There is a
growing public spirit without which
no town can ever grow to great
ness. A just pride of place needs no
apology and Is felt by every worthy
citizen. In our progress there are
other things to be considered than
manufacturing and merchandise.
Whatever tends to make machine
slayes of men, depriv,ng them Ct
proper home life and the opportunity
for moral and intellectual culture
ought to he discouraged by evev right
thinking citizen Of our town.
Our merchants have done well In
closing their stores at an early hour
part of the time, but this ought to be
exten1ed to Satu d,y night as well.
On that night the stores are open till
midnight and many of our merchants
and their clerks are not asleep before
two O'Clock Sunday morning. This
late hour is inexcusable and public
sentiment ought to make 1t impossi-
BILE. Who but merchants and tleir
clerks will submit to the outrage of q
day OF eighteen hours? They are thus
deprived OF time they ought to give
to their families; they are deprived Of
rest and opportunity of reading and
cultivating the arts OF life that are
higher than measuring cloth and
weighing groceries. 1t is seductive
form CT Sabbath desecration. These
men iall asleep all bruised and tired,
their brains buzzing with all the little
ness of the long day and night trade !;
at late hour Sunday morning crawl
out from the sodden slumber unfit to
be pleasant companions in the home
or devout attendants on services at the
churches. This custom is without
reason or excuse The beet market
closes at decent hour every evening
and people haYe EARNED to conduct
themselves accordingly, so of the post
office, banks and tobacco sales. No
body has objected to these. People
buy just SO much groceries and no
more. When they learn they Can't
buy them up to the very edge of Sun
day they will buy them before the
doors are closed. A large part Of this
midnight trade is from class of REQ
pie afflicted with unmitigated shift'ess-
ness, who need the "moye on" policy
applied to them vigorously. They be-
long to the same tribe with the fellow
who sat by the river and waited fol
the water to run by before he would
cross. That kind of man never crosses
Now, / appeal to righteous public
> sentiment to say that our merchants
i and their clerks who are among oul
, best citizens shall not be sUIjects. &
!. such slavery. It depends lorgely uin:
the merchants themselves to say
whether or not this thing sha,l con
tinue. Some will shrink frcm TIE dif
r ficulty Of securing the cooperation o
all concerned. This is q diff Guilty, TO
J. We haye some exceedingly small men
But town in which the business meI
. will not cooperate fer the good of al
is doored to medlocrity and littleness
Ths purpose of this article IS not to d.
q any sort of violence to proprie:y an'
common sense. It is granted that TIT
, closing hour Saturday night ought t.
. be later thai other nights-5ay X
o'clock.-hu let the shifiless GROVE
know 1t is that and no mcre. AM
there are occasions when it would b
;. we'll to remain open late every night
such are the weeks preceding the ho!
ldays.
" hen Paul stood in the mids. q
ipol1te and cultured Athens he sugges!
+ ed that they were rather superstitions
were he standing in Rocky Mount b