Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-03-12
INAUGURATFD
by Ministers Of the City for Stricter
Enforcement of Sunday Law
9ovenent is Intended to Create Public Sent;nan.
Which Will Sustain the Officers in En-.
forcing the Law

he ministers of The city and Mr.. j
+. George have inauGuratcd a move
mont 1ol Strictcr enforcement of tho
SUNDAY law. ENcry minister who is
members Of the ministerial asSocia-
lion and Mir. George have Coined in
lie address which the Graphic prints
heHc"itia They Go not do il in the
nann Of t@e association or of the
church. BAL %s citizens of the city,
&Ad in ;@"lr efforts along the line out
HheI ~ th@ir address they will be
'iEea l'% many other citizens. 1t is
tie !hi"alIon to create a strong pub
lie sentiment which will cause the
authorities to enforce the law and
sustain ibem in doing Il. The address
is as follows:
TO tie Citizens of Pine Bluff: In
this address. the undersigned djvest
themselves as far as possible OF all
Official hadges, and speak only in the
capacity of citizens of the state of
Arkansas and the city of Pine Bluff.
We do not wish to transcend beyond
our rights ar citizens; and we shall
be even more careful not to get beyond
the narrow bounds of ministerial pro
priety. We have rot constituted a
moral police force and we do not wish
to look upon our ministerial assoca-
ton as a law and order league. We
have upon our hearts the interests of
our state and city. We covet the wei.
fare of society. With all good citiz-
ems. we seek the upbuilding OF our
state and city morally. edcuationally,
and commercially. In this address,
We aim that all criticisms shall be lust
and all censure shall be as mild as
the situation will warrant.
We call your attention to the fact
That the statutes of Arkansas strictly
forbid all common labor on the Sab
bath or Sunday: excepting "customary
ih'''i'2<i-oi't htitlSc, VI NtlIN HtcPSSl1 V,
cor FEST or CHARITY Steamboats, arc
excepted; also 'all factories required
to be kept in continual operation"
Then there is an exception in favor of
the person who from religious belief
keeps some other day But not even
he, nor anyone elise, is allowed to keep
open store or saloon to retail any
goods, wares or merchandise; or to
leave his door unlocked so as to af-
ford ingross or egress. It is unlawful |
for any Gne to engage in horse racing |
on that day, whether for test of speed, |
for money or for amusement. Cock |
fighting is forbidden; also all kinds |
OF gaming, whether for money or for |
All kinds of betting are
1t is unlawful to hunt for
game on Sunday or to shoot for amuse-
ment. 1T shall be unlawful for any
club, person, or persons, to engage
in any game or play of baseball in
this state on the Christian Sabbath or
Sunday"
We are not preaching We are point
ing you to the civil statutes. In our
pulpits, we preach the law OF Moses
and the gospel of Christ Here @e
are proclainling the statutes of Ar
kansas. We believe that more than
of the population of this
city would approve a strict enforce
ment of these laws We are sure that
I large majority conscientiously OBJ
serve them. But while the large ma
Ority keep the law patriotically or re-
igiously. leaving off their daily work
and closing their place OF business,
4 small minority who do not regard
men or respect law persist entity violate
t. For greed and for gain, they take
, mean advantage, offend their fellow
and disregard the law of the
state, by plying their daily trades,
ieeping open their places of business,
selling and delivering goods. These
charges can be sustained against a
number of barber shops, some of the