The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-26
SUNDAY CLOSING FOR BARBERs.
supreme Court Decides That Closing
Law Is Valid.

Chicago Chronicle.
The question of closing barber shops on
Sunday by law has finally reached the SUI
preme court OF the United States and has
been decided a state law suppressing
tonsorial labor on Sunday is valid.
The case was taken up from Minnesota
on a law of that state suppressing Sunday
labor in barber shops. The Minnesota law
was closely drawn. 1t met the old plea
that to shave a man on Sunday, il he
needed a shave, was a work of necessity
ana mercv.
The Minnesota statute expressly pro-
Vided that keeping barber shop open
Sunday for the purpose of shaving and
hair-cutting should not be deemed q work
OF necessity or charity. The local courts
sustained the law on the ground that IL
shaving and hair-cutting were works of
necessity and charity they might be per.
formed at home and without keeping bar
Der shops open.
II is said that in the cases before the
courts under this law. in the pIeadings
ana IN the arguments OF counsel. more
learning and eloquenCe on the subject Of
Sabbatarial observances were display ed
than could be found in any other dis
cussions of the subject. All that ever
had been said was revived with new en-
phasis and all that could he said was ex
pressed with logical precision and with
manifold imagery.
The concurrence Of opinion among econ
omists, philosophers, moralists. states
men and physicians of all ages that peri-
odical days of rest were required by man
kind was proclaimed and exempliaed f,
was urged that one day in seven Is the
natural rule and the usage Of mankind
Tor days OF ~ 81. Science indorses the ruIe
But w hat shall ! do 20 be shaved ?''--
II need II ever so badly on Sundsy-uas
the interrogatory answer. shave your-
self was the reply, "or get a barber 10
do II privately. 1t is not necessary for
the barber TO keep his shop open"
Finally the combined wisdom of the
highest judicial tribunal OF the country
declared.
Courts will take judicial notice OF ,be
fact that. Ia view Of the custom 10 kean
barber shops open In the evening as weil
as IN the day, the employees in them work
more and Turing later hours than those
engaged in many other OCCUPATIONS ana
that this Is especially true on zsttIr1tv
afternoons and evenings. Also that owipr
10 the habit OF SO many men 10 POSTPONE
getting shaved untl SUNDAY. u sueh
shops were 10 De Permitted to be kput
open on sunday the employees would ordt
narily be deprived Of rest during half or
That day. "
Judicial knowledge of the FAC, that ha,-
Der shops are kept open until late hot,r
Saturday nights is CARRYING, the dor, rtne
'of judicial onniscience rather to extrarnes
bHN hHt tutiHtt, perhaps. than IL wax
carried by a Wisconsin jurist OF ola fgr,.g
Judge Aka Stewart. who had a snrdo,,
barber shop law before him for decision
He was man with n heavy black heard
Il take judicial knowledge OF the fact "
he said thai when come into a town
from the circuit sunday morning and
need a shave and bath am entitled To
them. II is not only work OF necessity
and OF charity but Of deccucy and pIety.
I Hft.rF n d IS HNF 60
There tine adjudica.ions on the s,,biac,
rest for the present