The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-08
SUNDAY ADJUSTMENTS.


Detroit Free Press.
I'VE know of no spectacle so ridiculous
as the British public in one of its periodical
fits of morality said Macaulay. and it
must be admitted that the American public
is sometimes equally ridiculous. For exam
pie. we think it would puzzle any disinter-
ested observer who was decently familiar
with our manners and customs and social
institutions to understand why so passion
ate an opposition was made by certain
element in this community to bill which
would permit the playing of Sunday base
ball in Wayne county outside the boun-
diaries Of the city of Detroit. One might
suspect from some of the arguments adj
vanced against the measure that the entire
FABRIC or religion, morality and public de-
cency was in imminent danger Of being
torn to tatters.
essentially wicked per Sc. 1t is obviously
one of the acts described by Herbert Spen-
Ger as morally Indifferent" Whether a
person shall play baseball on Sunday or
witness game Is largely a matter of per-
sonal taste. when the personal rights Of
other people are not invaded To permit
baseball to be played on Sunday at Bennett
Park, contrary to the wishes of the resi-
dents in the vicinity Of the park, would be
violation Of their personal rights, and
hence not to be tolerated If they wish a
Sunday free from noise and clamor Of all
kinds they are entitled to II. To permit a
ROLLER coaster to be operated at the Belle
Isle bridge approach, contrary to the wishes
of the people living In the vicinity, is also
an invasion of personal rights. 1t then be-
comes nuisance. But to permit these
things to be done in places where there Is
no opposing sentiment is a violation of no.
body's rights, and is not to the detriment
of public morals.
Some of our good friends are in danger
of forgetting that a strict Sunday observ-
ance Is no essential part of Christianity. 1t
was not known TO the Christian faith until
after the rise of the Puritans in England.
Strict Sabbatarianism remains relic of
Puritanism. and of nothing else. 1t exists
neither in Catholic France, nor in Lutheran
Germany, nor in Catholic Austria, nor in
Protestant Switzerland, nor in Italy, nor
in Russia, nor in Calvinist Holland. Mac
aulay and the Puritans opposed bear-bait-
ing, not because 1t gave pain TO the bear,
but because it gave pleasure to the specta-
tors, and there seems to be a trace of that
spirit in the modern remnants OF Crom-
wellian gloom.
But aside from this hedenic feature of
the case, the Free Press believes the advo-
Gates of the suppression of all Sunday
amusements are making a serious political
mistake. In placing the ban on innocent
amusements they are inviting vicious
amusements What is worse they are pro-
noting the issue of ''wide-open town. I"
The advocates of Sunday baseball are in a
majority, and they naturally chafe under
jected by minority. The inevitable result
must be that they will carry their cam
paign for wider liberty into local politics
and begin to elect officials who are pledged
to wink at infractions of existing laws.
When this happens there will be not only
Sunday baseball but all manner Of amuse-
ments. both innocent and vicious. There
will be wide-open saloons, wide-open gam
bling rooms, wide-open wineroOms and all
the vices of "wide-open Sunday which
follows natural revolt against too Sc
we're restrictions. And with this liberal
administration will come all the other
abuses that inevitably follow the loose al
ministration OF government. The officials
that are chosen to tolerate Sunday baseball
will tolerate nearly everything else, from
open saloons to the footing of the public
treasury. This will be steep price to pay
for the luxury of depriving the working
man OF a chance to see baseball games
played Sunday in one of the suburbs
where nobody would be disturbed.
The Free Press gladly testifies to the
good faith and sincerity of the citizens who
but concessions must always be made TO
to remember that the excuses of the Resto-
ration followed the restrictions Of Puritan
ISM and history has acquired the habit OF
repeating itself. Even from the standpoint
OF the strictest of the sects 1t must be bet
ter to surrender little than TO lose every
thing, and il is the wisest plan to tolerate
all innocent amusements which interfere
with nobody else's peaceful and secluded
observance of the Christian Sunday. After
ALL it was made for man; man was not
made for IL.