Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-24
THE CLERKS AND EARLY CLOSING.

THE CLERKS AND EARLY CLOSING.
The clerks and employers of Musca-
tine are engaged in a seemingly sense
less contest at mischief making over an
attempt of the former to secure earlier
closing of stores and business houses
The clerks having formed a union,
having combined as ii were, moved
unitedly for shorter working hours, and
in retaliation, with n view to making
the reform obnoxious, the proprietors
have arrested under the state Sunday
closing statute all livery stable keepers,
restaurateurs, hotel proprietors and
even newspaper men for conducting
their business on Sunday 1t may be
presumed that they Will next seek, I'M
der the profanity statute. to arrest
fool" so ridiculous has the controversy
become.
Such efforts as the clerks have made
In Muscatine are common in other
towns. 1t seems to be an object of unit
ed effort by clerks unions everywhere,
and is q most commendable one, so long
as the methods used are gentlemanly
and just There is nothing whatever
TO be gained by keeping places of bust
exception of those places engaged in
the business of public amuse-
ment or public utility. 1t is
best for all of us that one day in the
week be kept as day of rest, hence in
order that those who wish to do so may
rest on one day in seven, laws that re-
quire all unnecessary Sunday work to
cease are just. If stores are kept open
on Sundays for the purpose of trade the
clerks should be supported in their eff
forts to get them closed Sunday should
be observed by the suspension of all
business that can be suspended on that
day, or else everybody will be forced by
competition TO work on the Sabbath.
The Jews whose religion demands that
they observe Saturday as their Sab
bath, have learned this lesson, and the
rabbis have confessed that because Of
their residence among Christian peo-
pies they are forced to engage III bust
ness on Saturday and can't do any
business on Sunday, so must yield
to the customs of the land;
hence their recommendation that
the Jews in America hereafter
adopt the Christian Sunday as their
Sabbath. The worldly man and the.
cody man have the same interest in
this matter.
AS to early closing on week days, the
clerks are still in the right, altho there
is not the same public interest as in
preserving the Sabbath as day upon
which a man need not work unless he
wants to. Sixteen hour days for store
keeling are country ways. ancient in
their character. The storekeeper of the
city has learned that If his competitor
same amount of business in ten hours
as they did in sixteen. Closing stores
at 6 o'clock or 6:30 gives the store
keeper and his clerk few hours in
which to enjoy life and think of some-
thing besides weighing out turnips.
There is soIrething more in this world
rn, In. Ia
All should be Industrious, to be sure.
all should work hard and grow at the
working, but there is nothing, neither
riches nor happiness, to be gained by
shaving at ones business during every
waking hour A Marshalltown preach
er in his sermon of last Sunday told his
congregation that the American people
worked too much, and he was right A
storekeeper with wife and children
has no moral, right to leave his family
before the children are out of bed in
the morning not to return until they
are sound asleep at night, and give his
young son or daughter license to ask of
the mother, WHO Is that man who
comes here nights so often?' Much less
right has he to ask another man to
neglect family In this manner. If q
clerks union can secure early closing
no Sunday opening of stores and fac
tories their work is to be commended
and the public will have no sympathy
for such petty foolishness as is being
exhibited at Muscatine; granted always
that the clerks union recognizes the
honorable methods.
IOWA OPINIONS ARD NOTES.
According to the Des Moines Leader
the congratulatory message King Ed
cant IN XII lfnnep XIII