Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-14
AGAINST DESIGNATION OF THE SABBATH.
Copy of Circular Was Distributed At Some or the Yesterday

I W aIerDufy at one or tnelf MolluilS meetings to prepare and publish al statement setting forth the position they occupy in relation to certain questions and practices, belonging to he domain of morals, that have been !orced upon the attention of the cohl- nunity during the past few years.
 The statement does not represent precisely or fully the convictions ot Inv one member of the commlttee' Ind the committee does not claim to represent the convictions of all the ministers who were present at the meeting. Our aim is to convey to the public a general impression ofs the feeling which prevails in our pouy md which continued to assert 1tseit liter the subjects referred to had been earefully discussed.
 Our attention was called, few weeks ago, to the facts that the Earne of football was being played within our city limits on Sunday after aoons; that an admission fee was kharged; that the exhibition, notWlth- standing the fee, drew together. q. crowd numbering several thousanus' md that our police authorities havlnS 1t first refused to forbid or prevent shese performances. were afterWafus kending policemen to the grounds 10 tee that the game was not interruptea:
 Recognizing in these facts doupie pr threefold violation of the law we made prompt appeal to the board 1 oi public safety, in which the coh.iol U tt, Ind management of the city's police sre vested, and were assured (unofn- eialIyl that Sunday football would De tmn,adiafely discontinued. It was not discontinued, however, until winter weather had made playing impractl- rable and in the meantime statements In regard to it's discontinuance appear- ed in the local press that were calcu- lated to cast contempt on those who sought to interfere with Sunday sports. The intention was also 1nd1- rated, almost as plainly as if fully ex- Fa pressed. that with the return of an other season, Sunday football would as matter of course be resumed.
 The condition of mind and morals thus revealed seemed to us not only f1iscreditable. but ominous of evil to n,1r city's future and it was our deep conviction of this that determined us to come before the public with state, ment of our position, our opinions anu pur earnest desires.
 Although Sunday football was, as thus indicated, the occasion or th's apF neal. if did not stand as tnlhs pv itself in our view of the situation. II belonged to a group of subJects, lilpot- fant in the opinion of every one or us, which had engaged our attention ana enlisted discussion in our meetings over since we began to meet. Not shnlv sunday football but Sunday Dase- hall may be included in the list. we had good reason, year or two slhce' fo include also public boxing, this nav inc proved to be prize fighting, ana that If the most brutal sort. masquer' adinp under the thin dfsguise-of a re. snacfabIe name. The fact was alsc +hrust rpon our attention i'll odlous 1vavs that the doors of our theaters ,,+are often wide open on Sunday even E sngs for so-called sacred concerts o1 other illegal performances. we 1ouho ourselves brought face to race alsC with Sunday liquor selling, haVlng heen credibly 'informedsof instances II
 which half dozen saloons stoou opeA sn single street, and this dlrecty .'n
 dor~ the eyes of the police; knoWlns also that at one of the Sunday Iootoal
 yan,As one hundred and eighty-Ioul men had actually been couhteo' Wat " inp for entrance to a saloon. lneH +oo. it was source of regret ana aux
 fety to most of us, that TOT so nlans is years a considerable number or stoLe had been allowed to keep open OH " o"ll "L
 day. in direct violation or the laW U +bo state-not only drug stores an'
 5an+ists, offices. but cigar stores, frul storas meat markets and photograpl m '
 1oIica of the city, who would promptl,
 a~ros+ man found drunk on tn street.. should consider it necessar +o wait for a specific complaint trol
 Soma courageous citizen before a' +enntinp to close stores unlawful
 onen and prevent unlawful traffic O The day which. our statutes, i'll accorc aneh with the highest precedents, COT eecrate to rest from labor and trade. It has recently been reported i'll til nubIic press that ''the retail grocers c
 Louisville. Ky, have petitioned III ministers to aid them i'll movemeI fo. closing their stores on sunday used to be the ministers it signihcantl added. who petitioned the grocers. Ou fellow citizens here ill Waterbury nav moi vet followed the Louisville exam pIe but have we not recently WI
 
 messed the spectacle--surely q strane
 rnectaele for New England!-of men bers of union pleading with ot board of public safety to relieve the from the too heavy burden of sunda toll by ordering the closing of eertal wide-open markets on Sunday an
 that board meeting. their appeal by Il definite postponement. The fact thi the law is being habitually violated
 apparently not taken into account.
 Let us see how the law of our sta sn relation to these matters reads. Sc lion 1869 entitled, ''Work or Recre ton on Sunday makes the followir
 very definite specifications: Ever
 person who shall do any secular bus
 ness or labor, except works of necess ty or mercy; or keep open any sho
 warehouse or any manufacturing mechanical establishment, or expo