The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-10-27
PURITAN BLUE LAWS.
Statutes 40 Sever. &c 60 sss.4 - pes.
sibis Mere Lafosesd-


sibis wsrs ksforesd-
II Is generally admitted. essn BY the
advocates OF a stsrnsr religion than IL
usually PROGRESSED In this twentieth e-n.
fury. that the sabbath was made for
man. aud this Interpretation Includes
recreation In the injunction TO rcst. In
the days OF Puritan dominion there il
as little doubt that the Idea prevailed
most efrectuaiiy that man was made
for the Sabbath.
This religion Of a people who be-
liey.d In taking literal Interpretations
Of the Old Testament 40 their guide In
III. government OF a country which
they had misnam-i the land Of the
free" reached tho height OF IL. lmpos.
sibi. demands at the middle Of tho sss.
cntccnth century. statute framed In
Boston In 1858 regsrsiinx tho p~naitis.
Tor breaking the lass Of sunday ob.
-srvnnee Ia the sesere-t % any formed
before or since. and shows what a day
Of dismal gloom this day Of rest must
hav. been.
In the days Of the Puritans an OBJ.
srrrancc Of Sunday meant an attend.
ancs at all the church meetings. spd II
meant little else. Worship In the pub.
Tic meeting house wa. compsllsd By
law. When the boil toiIsi out ID. sum.
mons. all must 90. willing OF other
wise. and notwithsta ndinz tho dirscui.
ties In the way OF the journey. This
often meant tramp Of many miles
over rough ground where one carried
bis footx~ar In bis hands
At the time this .ev.r.st Of all stat
utes was passed In Boston. no one
was allowed to go anywhere on Sun.
day except to church. uni... there was
some extraordinary need OF tho errsnd
was one Of mercy. No ono was per.
mitted to go from one town to smother
on that day or to enter any public
house for drink. Guards were sta.
toned at the edge Of town Saturday
night Mt sundown 10 SOC 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
hiblted.
Even children were not allowed 10
be seen In the street nor young men
md women to promenade. In fact. IL
sas because the worthy town officials
had heard OF the grievous mIsdcmca-
nor Of childish laughter in public high.
ways. and had been Informed that Ger.
ain young people had committed the
,ffense against God Of walking in the
iclds on tho Lords day. that the stat.
Ito resulatingg penalties for these
aults had been enacted.
II was OF no more avail 10 the Of.
ender Of that early day to plead ig.
'orance OF the law than II IL today.
It'll, to mako assurance doubly surs
hat all Inhabitants knew what these
unday laws were. ministers were re-
uired to read them from in front Of
he meeting house twice during the
ear. Then woe to any one who chose
D ignore them. for the hand Of mex
rable law. not tempered by mercy.
ras upon him.
Parents were responsible for the
lisdemeanors Of children between the
gcs OF and IL. over that age they
ere required to receive themselves
10 penalty Of their own misdoins. For
renking any OF these laws the FIRST
me. the punishment was a severe
'primnnd from the chief executive Of
10 town. If any daring child escaped
" q moment the family corral to
ole upon the public highway. this
ntownrd sctlon would not fall to
ing his parents into open disxrac~