The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-10
Leaguers Thought His Reply Was
Discourteous.
TO START RED-HOT CAMPAIGN.
Dir, Thompson Is to Como Hero and
Make Several Speechcs-A Cons
mittce Appointed to Meet Chief
of Police Howard and Cons
fer With Him as to
the Situation.

| ii number of interesting meetings lately,
| and there a full attendance in the
| parlor OF the Y. NJ. C. \. building yester-
! day to consider several matters of inn
| portance.
| The league which has among its mem
! bers some of the most influential men in
| Richmond. has been organized for some
| time, and is now about to begin active
| campaign in behalf of a better observance
| of Sunday. y few days ago the following
| letter was addressed to Mayor Taylor
! and at the same time q copy of it was
| sent to Major Howard, chief Of police:
! Office Sunday Observance League,
Richmond, Va, Jan. 5, 1901.
| Hon R. NJ Taylor, Mayor Of the City
| of Richmond:
| Sir,-Disregard of the laws for the OBJ
/ servance of the Sabbatl, has become SO
| fla grant in our city that Sunday OBJ
| Seryance League" has been formed for
| the purpose of securing the enforcement
| of the statutes on the subject These
| statutes few in number and should be
| fully enforced. 1t is your duty to execute
| the law, and we call upon you to that
| it is no longer disregarded. Bar-rooms
| conduct their trade with open side doors
| in every ward. This is the first abuse at
| which we would have you strike. Many
| stores for the sale of merchandise openly
| conduct their business every Sunday
+! morning and some throughout the day
! This can be verified by casual observer
F! We call attention also to the work being
! done by the railway and electric COM
| panes or their contractors in the river
| or along it's banks where a large force
| of men have been laboring for months
| without day Of rest. There IS no excuse
| ,l,f. Il,
| dignity of this community. and YOU have
! it in your power to prevent Il repetition
| of the offense
PROMPT ACTION.
| There are other matters which will
! bring to public notice later. but We now
| call upon you to take prompt and aggres-
| Sve steps for the conviction OF the eVllS
| mentioned above. We believe you can
| al5ate them If you will. II you cannot
we would like to know the reason why
| The sympathy and support of every good
| citizen Will attend every effort you make,
| and all the power of this league VIII be
! placed at your disposal. should you need
| it's assistance. Be kind enough TO let
us hear from you at your earliest con-
| ycnience and Oblige,
]. d. CRUAIP.
| VIM S Campbell. President
| Corresponding Secretary.
!
Mayors Office.
| Richmond, Va, Jan. :, 1901.
| J. D. Crump. Esq,
! President Sunday Observance League,
City:
Dear Sir-I Will say in reply TO s:our
| inquiries that the Chief OF Po!ice Knows
| his business and 1 have never interfered
| with him in the discharge of his duties
| Very respectfully,
| RICHARD NJ. TAYLOR,
! Mayor.
CHIEFS REPLY.
| The Chief of Police replied as follows:
| Office of Chief of Police,
| Richmond, Va, Jan ., 1901.
| j. D. Crump.
| Dear sir.-Yourss of this date to hand:
! contents noted.
| I would like for you O. the committee
| to call on me and have a talk on tsle
| Sunday question. I will be in my ONCE
! at anv time tnat you may appoint be-
| tween A. M and l P. NJ, and any
| time after P. NJ. any day except, Mon
| day, January /.
| Respectfully,
| B. F. HOWARD,
| CHIEF Of Police.
| The committee was much grained ny
| the courteous response from MAJ my
! ard and Messrs. J. D. Crump, Eugene C.
| Massie and Rev. NJ L. Campbell were
| delegated to confer with him as soon as
| possible and take such further actlon as
! might to them be deemed advisable.
A LITTLE BREEZE
Something of a breeze was created by
| the reading of the Mayors letter, every
| word OF which was underscored by MS
| Honor Surprise was expressed bcth at
| the tone and substance Of the letter, ana
| the committee was unanimous IN con
! One declared
that his Honor wrote as ii he had never
| read the Constitution of Virginia, and was
| ignorant of the dignity and power OF his
| Office And in support of what he said
| attention was called to art. vi, Sec 70, OF
| the Constitution, which provides that the
! Mayor shall be chief executive officer OF
| every city and should see that the duties
| of the various officers are faithfully per-
| formed This section gives the Mayor
! express power to investigate all the acts
f! of said officers and to suspend or remove
| them whether they be elected or ap-
| pointed, for misconduct in Office or neglect
| of duty In view of the Constitutional
| provision and OF the polite letter addressed
| to him, the committee was of opinion that
| the tone of the Mayors letter was i'm
! proper and the position assumed by him
| wholly uncafled for and untenable. For
| he was not requested to Interfere with
| Major Howard ''in the discharge of his
| duties, but 10 AID MN ana 70 see tnat
| the Sunday laws should be enforced in
| the particulars brought to his attention.
COMING TO RICHMOND
| This committee has been corresponding
| with Rev DR.. Edward Thompson. OF At
| Ianta, Ca the general manager of the
/ Sunday Observance Lensue OF America,
/ and he has agreed to visit this city and
hold a series of meetings in furtherance
! OF the objects of the League DR.. Thomp-
/ son is very highly endorsed as a man, as
"a sneaker and as nm elective worker In