Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-18
TO COME UP FRIDAY
Proposed Sunday Closing Of
Groceries.
STATUS OF THE BILL
SENATE DISTRICT COMMITTEE TO
CONSIDER IT AGAIN.
Has Been Passed by the House-Argu-
ments Of Advocates-Views Of
the Opposition.


sentatives. requiring certain places Of
business in the District to be closed on
Sundays.
This measure was before the Senate COM
mfttee at its regular meeting last week. A
vote being taken On a motion to report 1t
fayorably, the committee was found to be
equally divided, and the matter will again
be talked over and voted on.
The purpose of this bill has been the SUBJ
Ject OF many measures urged upon Con-
gress for several years past, except that
the present bill includes smaller number
of articles against which it Is sought to
secure restriction in sales on Sunday.
Provisions Of the Bill.
The bill makes it unlawful for any per-
son in the District of Columbia to sell or
to offer for sale, or to keep open any place
of business for the sale or delivery of, any
groceries or meats or vegetables or other
provisions on Sunday, except that from the
first day of June until the first day of Oc-
tober meats sold prior to Sunday may be
delivered at any time before 10 o'clock of
the morning of that day."
Violations of this law are to be punished
by fine of not less than $25 nor more than
$50 for the first offenSe, and for each sub
sequent offense by fine of not less than
$50 nor more than 500, or by Imprisonment
in the District Jail for period of from one
TO three months, or by both fine and i'm
prisonment, in the discretion of the court
In order to meet objections to the Dill 1t
has been modified from year to year, and
now refers only to meats, vegetables and
groceries. One of the last revisions OF the
bill to make it satisfactory to the House
Of Representative was the elimination of
fruits from the articles that could not
be sold Sundays.
Advocates of the Measure.
The Retail Butchers and Meat Dealers
Protective Association has been foremost
in advocating this measure, which has
been approved by the Commissioners and
by over 500 retail grocerymen. John R.
Kelly, president; Geo. A. Gerhold, secre-
-tary and ]. e. Donovan, treasurer, of the
Retail Butchers and Meat Dealers Assc-
citation, In stating the reasons of the as
sociation In urging the passage of the
bill, say:
to observe Sunday as day of rest and of
freedom from the cares of business; and
we believe that our many employees are
also entitled to that day of rest of which
they and we will be deprived if we are
compelled to keep open our places of
business to compete with those dealers
who do not respect that holy day.
THAT this measure will receive the
cordial approval of all law-abiding citi-
zens we truly believe, and therefore we
petition for Its early passage by your
honorable bodies"
Demand for Sunday Rest.
The bill has also received the strong
approval of the Master Butchers Asso-
citation of America at st. Louis, Mo. A
letter of that association to the District
organization states:
There is general movement for Sum
day closing throughout the United States
and it is pleasure TO state that in near
ly every instance the movements have
originated with butchers. In ST. Louis
the Master Butchers Association began
work of education a year in advance to
put Sunday closing into effect, and now
the association numbers 1859 members
Sunday closing was inaugurated Septem-
ber 6, 1908, and only about fifteen mar
kets have remained OPEN"
In defending the principles of the bill, II
is stated by it's advocates that the New
York legislature has passed a special law
closing markets and groceries.
The supreme court of Minnesota has
handed down a decision upholding the
Sunday closing act passed by the last leg
islature of the state prohibiting the sale Of
meat and groceries on Sunday. An action
was brought In st. Paul to test this law
on the ground that It was unconstitutional
and not proper exercise of the states
police power to prohibit the sale Of grocer
les and meats and to permit the sale OF
cigars, tobacco and candy on Sundays. The
court .eld that the object of the Sunday
lew was not to enforce religious obser-
vances, but to protect those engaged in Ia
Dor from imposition upon their day Of rest
Whether the distinction is proper or
not the court held, ''is for the legislature
to say and not for the courts. The custom
of visiting parks and other places of
amusements on Sunday leads to the de-
could not be supplied on Saturday like
meats, groceries and such household neces-
saries."
Objections to the Bill.
The bill was objected to in the commit
tee on various grounds, one Of the most
important of which was that in the cases
of thousands Of colored people In the Dis
trict such law would work a hardship.
Many people, 1t was argued, have no means
to take care Of meat and vegetables, such
as are supplied by the ice box of the gro
Ger. In the torpid weather they would be
greatly injured, 1t has been claimed, by
not being able to get supplies from the
stores on Sunday morning.
The religious liberty bureau has also
protested against the law as one of many
measures to compel Sunday rest.
'It Is contrary to the principles of reli-
gious liberty, as guaranteed by the first
amendment to the Constitution the bu-
reau states, which declares that Congress
shall make no law in respect to an estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof"
They declare that butchers and grocers
are free under the law to close their places
of business Sunday IL they wish to do so.
Seventh Day Adventists are also protest
ants against the passage of such a law.
What One Opponent Says.
Speaking of this law today, one Of it's
opponents said
1.-THE resolution of the Retail Butchers
and Meat Dealers Association states that
we are compelled to keep open our places
of business to compete with those dealers
who do not respect that holy day.. This
statement lifts the mask behind which this
latest Sunday law agitation has been con-
cealed, and makes 1t clear that this 1egis-
lation Is religious in its nature and intent.
If man Is religious from principle he will
do that which he regards as right, even II
by the competition of others be should
lose financially by so doing.
1.-THE religion which is so little matter
OF conscience that 1t needs a congressional
prop will not benoit the man who possesses