New-York tribune., 1901-12-02
LAWS FOR NEW-YORk ERS.
MANY EXCEPTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE
TO THE EARLIER RESTRICTIONS

All labor is prohibited Sunday in this city
except works of necessity charity
Persons who observe another day of the week
as holy time and do work that day are
allowed work Sunday. provided their work
is not annoying to other persons who keep Sun
day as holy time.
BY this exception Of the law, many small fac
tories for the manufacture of clothing are
on Sunday.
Works of necessity include whatever is need
full for the health or comfort of the community"
Among them are:
Running of streetcars and other conveyances-
Deliveries of telegraph messages and co4lec-
tiOns of mail matter.
Transportation of baggage, theatrlcal scenery
cattle and pershable articles of food
Repairs pipes when water or gas IS es-
Gaping.
Public traffic. buying and selling are prohibited
on Sunday. with the following exceptions;
All articles of food. meats excepted. may be
sold before 10 a. m, and places FOR the SAFE OF
tobacco fruit confectionery: soda water. news news
paDers drugs medicines and surgical appliances
may remain open all day sunday
Barber shops and public baths may remain
Restaurants may remain open
The sale of liquors is prohibited on Sunday oy
the LIQUOR Tax law. except that liquors may be
served with meals at places haVlhg hotei II
censeS. - .,
Theatrical exhibitions and all performances
of the stage are prohibited Sunday, except
that sacred concerts may be given on sunday
at places licensed .
All rarades are prohibited on Sunday. except
that government or State troops may march
through the streets and funeral professions may
escort bodies on the way 10 burial
The Sunday laws in New-York have oeen
spoken of frequently as blue laws and "Purl-
tanical laws" by persons who hold them III
contempt and there has been popular notion
that all Sunday laws have been transmitted to
the present generation of NEWCOMERS from
the days of the Puritans-
All the Sunday laws now in force in this city
are laws passed by the State legislature at
different times and large number Of old city
reet1la tfons which imposed penalties for Sab
hath breaking" and many petty restrictions
unon the liberties of citizens have become dead
letters.
In passing the Sunday laws the legislature
took the ground that, the first day of the week
having been set apart by general consent Tor
rest and religious uses, the laws should pro-
hibit the doing of acts on that day which would
he serious Interruptions of the repose and re-
ligious liberty of the community.
The Penal Code makes Sabbath breaking a
misdemeanor punishable by fine not exceed
ing $40 or by imprisonment not exceeding five
DAYS. or both, for first offence with double
the penalty for a second offence. In addition
to these penalties, d person who exposes goods
for sale in violation of the Sunday laws risks
the forfeiture of the goods
Freedom in religious worship Sunday is
nrovided for iii the laws. Among these laws are
the following:
An attempt by means of threats violence.
TO compel any person adopt. practise or pro-
fess d particular form of religious bellet is a
misdemeanor.
person who wilfully prevents, by threats or
violence another person from performing any
lawful act enjoined upon recommended to
such person by the religion which ne processes
is guilty of misdemeanor
A person who wilfully dsturbs, interrupts or
disduiets any assemblage of people met for
religious worship. by any of the acts enumerated
in the next section is guilty OF d misdeneanor'
The acts referred to are defined in the next
section as follows:
First-Utterng any profane discourse COM
hitting any rude indecent act. or making
any unnecessary noise. either within the place
where such meeting is held, or so near 1T as TO
disturb the order and Solemnty of the meeting
Second-Engaging in, or promoting, withln
two miles of the place where religious meeting
is held any racing of animals or gambling or
any description.
Third-Obstructing in any manner. without
authority of law within the like distance. free
passage along a highway 10 the place of such
meeting
In the section of the law which prohibits
parades with certain exceptions, ii is provided
that no music shall be played by band accom-
panving a funeral escort within one block or
n nlace of worship where service is then cele-
brated."
In addition to these statutory provisions. the
police have the power to exercise wide discre-
ton as to what is "disorderly conduct on sun
day. and this power has been used more or less
to regulate the playing of baseball FOOTBALL and
other noisy games on that DAY