The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-01
WHY LAWS ARE
NOT ENFORCED
Subject Discussedby
day Observance League
TO AWAKEN INTEREST
This is Essential to Bring About
Desired Reforms.
Mr.. MASSIE is PRESIDENT.
tie Is Placed at the II m and
Other Officers Chosen to Press
the Campaign With Yigor and
Along Broad Lines-some
Plain Speeches
NJ az de.
sR. MAsSIE is PRESIDENT.

Smithdeals Hall, with President ). u.
Crump in the chair. The meeting was
opened with prayer by Rev. ]. e. Cooke
Tho reDort of the Nominating Commit
tee was adopted, and the following officers
were elected for the ensuing year: fresl-
dent, MI, Eugene c. Masse; First VICE
President, Mr.. 7. w. Wood; Second VICE
President, Mr. J. D. Crump; treasurer
and Recording Secretary, Mr.. G. Nj.
smithdeal: Corresponding Secretary, Rev
William S. Campbell.
The report of the Finance Commlttee
showed receipts for the year of s2os; dis
bursmentS, Sl3loa; balance III liio ehe''
ury, S7667.
THEIR WORK REVIEWED
Rev. William S. Campbell presented the
report of the Executive Committee, winch
is as follows:
.Shortly after its appointment, about
year ago. we went to work to carry OUT
the plans of the league for securing the
better observance OF Sunday III the CITY :
The fact that was evident from the begin
ming of the movement that resulted in the
formation of this league has become more
and more evident as we have looked more
fully into the matter and that is the lack
of a strong public sentiment demanding
the enforcement of the Sunday laws
..,There is no doubt in the minds of the
citizens at large that the laws are not
enforced. but there is an almost univer-
sal lack of practical interest in the mat
ter. Seeing this to be the case. your
committee deemed it best to devote its
| special attention to educating and aWak-
ening public sentiment on the SUBJECT
With this object in view number OF
public meetings have been held. at which
addresses have been made on various
phases of the question.
MEETINGS HELD.
"a mass-meeting was held last May IN
the Academy of Music, at which several
excellent addresses We're made to very
large audience. During the latter part OF
| January of this year we received the
services of Rev. DR.. Edward Thompson
general manager of the Sunday League
of America. DR.. Thompson remained IN
the city about two weeks and halt ana
delivered twenty addresses in different
| parts of the city, and received a great
many subscribers to the literature of the
league ne represents This, it is believed,
will do much toward awakening pubic
sentiment on the subject.
THAT good can be accomplished by the
League was clearly shown in connection
with the Street-Carnival last spring.
Your committee had good reason to pc
lieve that Sunday would be desecrated
by work done on the booths and other
wise, and so we addressed IL letter to the
president of the Carnival Association and
one to the Chief of Police, asking that
the law be strictly enforced: and we had
the qualification of knowing that no work
connected with the Carnival was done
that day. But we have it on good au-
thority that but for our letters there
would have been much work done that
day in violation of the laws governing
the observance of Sunday.
THAT LETTER.
a few months ago your committee ad-
dressed a letter to the Mayor and to the
Chief of Police of the city, asking them
to use their authority in seeing that the
Sunday laws We're enforced. The Mayor
replied in a letter, which he subsequently
said he intended as an insult to the
League, and which practically meant
that he would attend to his duties as he
saw fit, and the citizens of the city have
no right to say anything on the subject.
THE Chief OF Police invited us to con-
ference on the subject. In this confer
ence he freely admitted that the laws
are not enforced. He said this was
partly due to the defects in the law and
partly to the fact that he had been una
BILE to secure convictions in the courts
when the evidence had been obtained. He
his power to aid the League in accom-
plishing the object it has in view.
Your committee has under considera-
ton other plans for securing the enforce
ment of the Sunday laws, which we think
for obvious reasons ought not to be made
public just now, but which we will COM
municate to the committee to be appoint
ed tonight as our successor.
Respectfully submitted.
'.WA1. S. CAMPBELL.
For the Committee
SOME PLAIN SPEECHES,
\ most interesting discussion followed
the presentation of this report. In re-
sponse to a question, Mr.. Campbell re-
peated the Statements made by Major
Howard. chief OF police. who said he knew
the laws were not enforced, that he could
not enforce them, for he could not secure
convictions in the courts. that of the three
hundred har-rooms in the city, not more
than seven were closed on Sunday
Mr.. S. K. Mckee said that in order to
accomplish the closing Of the saloons it
would be necessary TO have the laws
changed. To do this it would be neces-
sary to put better men in the City Coun-
Gil than some OF those who are now in It,
He said that there are some excellent men
in that body, but many OF them are liquor
dealers or are controlled by liquor dealers.
He gave instances O1 other cities where
the laws are enforced.
Mr. 7. w. Wood advocated {, rF-y broad
view OF the matter, and said the effort
ought not to be confined to the closing o.
the bar-rooms. but that all violations %
the law ought to be dealt with vigorously.
Eev. j. E. Cook gave his experience in
trying to convict a bar-keeper. He said
he found that there was SO much difficulty
ir getting the matter into and through
the courts that he was obliged to give up.
Rev W. 3. Beauchamp made most
earnest address endorsing the position
taken by Mr.. Mckee.
Rev. n C. Johnson, d. d., OF the Union
Theological Seminary, made a very force