The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-02
SAY THEY'LL FIGHT
FOR THEIR RIGHTS
Small Grocers Make Declaration
of War Against the Sunday
Closing Movement.

eve will fight the devil with fire and
carry the war into Africa before we
give up
This was the remark made by Grant
Spicer at a meeting Of the smaller
retail grocers yesterday afternoon, in
discussing the fight between the gro
GERS and the Retail Clerks association
over the Sunday closing law. Mr..
Spicer, who is a grocer at 291 West
Seventh street, apparently expressed
the sentiments Of his fellow grocers,
as all present were agreed that the
enforcement of the Sunday closing law
would compel the suburban grocer to
go out of business.
The meeting yesterday afternoon
was held at Annex hall, and while,
owing to a misunderstanding, there
were but few of the grocers in attend
ance, there was an abundance of en-
thuSiaSm.
The recent crusade against the
grocers who keep their places of BUSH
ness open on Sunday has created
strong feeling between the suburban
grocers and the larger dealers whose
places of business are In the down.
town district, the latter being charged
with having induced the retail clerks
to make the crusade against the
smaller grocers
The suburban grocers have no or
ganization, neither do they belong to
the Retail Grocers' association, but 1t
was decided yesterday that, If neces-
sary, they would form an organiza-
ton and fight for their rights to the
bitter end.
Will Demand Jury Trials.
There will be no more pleading
guilty when a grocer is arraigned in
| court to plead to charge of violating
the Sunday closing law" said Mr..
Spicer. I'VE are satisfied that the law
| is unconstitutional, and we will COM
| pei the courts to render decision in
! the matter, either one way OF the 9TH
| er. Hereafter, no matter how many
| grocers are arrested for keeping their
places open Sunday, each one will de-
| mand a separate trial before jury,
and If the city desires to go to such
an expense in prosecuting the grocers
we can stand it.
This thing Of arresting us for vio-
| lating this alleged Sunday law Is moth
| ing more than a farce" continued Mr..
| Spicer. IF a retail grocer opens his
| store on Sunday morning to accommo-
| date the people Of his neighborhood he
| is arrested. He cannot sell even a bar
| of soap, yet his customer may go into
a drug store in the same block and buy
all of the soap he wants.
Will Close All Saloons in the City.
eff the grocers must close on Sum
| day the saloons must. We are not
| trying to make trouble for any one
else, but if the courts hold that we
| have no right to keep open, we will
not stop until we have closed every
saloon in the city, or until we have
| gained the point we are striving for.
If there is a law which permits sa
| loon to throw open its doors on Sun
day we will endeavor to find 1t out.
! "The smaller grocers are just get
! ting stirred UP in this matter and they
will see the thing through. We are
getting the worst of it, and we want
| to know why"
| The smaller grocer charge that the
| retail clerks, who, they say, are re-
! sponsible for the arrest of grocers who
| sell on Sunday, have been induced to
do so by the proprietors of the larger
| grocery and department stores in the
down. town district.
"These Stores" said a grocer, "have
no occasion to keep open Sundays.
They are not in a residence neighbor-
| hood, as we are, but they figure that
| IL we are cOmpelled TO close on sum
day the trade We get by keeping open
would come to them through the week,
| and that We would soon have to go
| out of business"
| The suburban grocers decided yes
| terday that they would stand by what
| they term their rights, and if they are
| closed, they will make fight all along
| the line.
| They threatened to carry the matter
| into the campaign and make war on
the judges who decide they are guilty
Of violating the law. They will also
| endeavor to have some changes made
| in the law by the next state legisla-
| ture if 1t shall be sustained in the
| higher courts.
The meeting yesterday was the re-
suit of the recent arrest Of five
| more grocers. charged with keeping
open Sundays During the past six
| weeks, or since the Retail Clerks as
ISOLATION took the matter up, twenty
| or twenty five arrests have been made,
| and in many of the cases the grocers
have pleaded guilty, escaping with a
| fine of $40.
| Hereafter a jury trial will be de-
| manded, and the cases will be carried
to the higher courts.
If the arrests continue the grocers
| will hold another meeting, organize
and raise fund for the purpose of
! testing the constitutionality of the
law.
- $50 a.>Ss@ - n NJ