Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-09-21
PURITAN BLUE LAWS.
Statut, : So Severe as to Seem Impoi
sibie Were Enforced.

Statutes So Severe as to Seem Impos
sibie We're f;nfOrced.
1t is generally admitted. even by the
advocates of Il sterner religion than is
usually professed i'll this twentieth cen
fury. that the Sabbath was made for
man. and this Interpretation includes
recreation in the injunction to rest In
the days of Puritan dominion there is
as little doubt that the idea prevailed
most effectually that man was made
for the Sabbath.
This religion of people who be-
lieyed in taking literal interpretations
of the Old Testament as their guide in
the government of Il country which
they had misnamed the land of the
free" reached the height of its impos-
sible demands at the middle of the sew
enteenth century. \ statute framed in
Boston in 1858 regarding the penalties
for breaking the laws of Sunday OBJ
seryance is the severest of any formed
before or since. and shows what day
of dismal gloom this day of rest must
have been.
In the days of the Puritans an OBJ
servance of Sunday meant an attend
ance ut all the church meetings. and it
meant little else. Worship in the pub
lie meeting house was compelled by
law. When the bell tolled out its sum-
mons. all must 90, willing or other
wise. and Notwithstanding the difficult
ties in the way of the journey This
often meant a tramp of many miles
over rough ground where one carried
his footgear in his hands.
At the time this severest of all stat
utes was passed i'll Boston. no one
was allowed to go anywhere on Sun
day except to church. unless there was
some extraordinary need or the errand
was one of mercy. No one was per-
mitted to go from one town to another
on that day or to enter any public
house for drink. Guards We're sta
toned at the edge of town Saturday
night ut shutdown to see that no vehicle
passed either in or out of the city from
that time until the close of the follow
ing day, and labor of all sort was pro-
hibited.
Even children We're not allowed to
be seen in the street nor young men
and women to promenade, In fact, it
was because the worthy town officials
had heard of the grieyous misdemea-
nor of childish laughter in public high
ways, and had been informed that GER
tain young people had committed the
81
fields on the Lords day, that the stat
ute regulating penalties for these
faults had been enacted.
1t was of no more avail to the. of
fender of that early day to plead ig-
norance of the law than it is TODAY.
Still. TO make assurance doubly sure
that all inhabitants knew what these
Sunday laws We're. ministers were re-
uuired to read them from in front of
the Westinghouse twice during the
year Then woe to any one who chose
to ignore them. for the hand of mex
orable law. not tempered by mercy,
was upon him.
Parents We're responsible for the
misdemeanors of children between the
ages of and IA. Over that age they
were required to receive themselves
the penalty Of their own misdoing. For
breaking any of these laws the first
time. the punishment was severe
reprimand from the chief executive of
the town. If any daring child escaped
for a moment the family corral to
frolic upon the public highway. this
untoward action would not fail to
bring his parents into open disgrace.