The Washington times., 1904-08-07
PUBLIC OPINION
BEST SUNDAY LAW
Barber Shops and Saloons
Alone Closed by Statrte.
SAFEGUARD IS SENTIMENT
No Prevention Of Sabbath Pleasure
Except by Inference Under
Theater Law.
SAFEGUARD IS SENTIMENT

mat the natural tendency Of the peo-
pie Of Washington is toward proper OBJ
servance Of the Sabbath is cOnclusively
proved by the fact that all the sun
dav laws" now in effect here, are three
statutes. touching only three aspects Of
life, passed at different times within a
period OF thirty-five years.
At present there are but two statutes
that declare in specific terms that they /
are IN force merely TO insure proper |
observance Of Sunday. One, law OF |
tho old corporation Of Washington that /
went into effect September Il. 1863. pro- |
vides that no barber shops shall be kept |
open on Sunday The other. an act of |
Congress, approved March 3, 1893, for |
BIDS the keeping open Of barroOms and /
saloons on Sunday.
Relates to Theaters.
The third statute. which has. by con- |
struction. come 20 be looked on as |
Sunday law" relates 10 theaters, and |
it was approved by the President March |
!, 1901. II IS as follows:
That any license issued by the As l
SCISSOR Of the District OF Columbia TO the I
proprietor of a theater or other public /
place Of amusement in the District of |
Columbia may be terminated by the |
Commissioners Of the District OF Co !
Iumbia whenever II shall appear to them !
that. after due notice. the person hold |
ing such license shall have failed to
comply with such regulations as may be |
prescribed by the said Commissioners |
for the public decency."
Pleasure Not Forbidden.
With this the Districts Sunday laws
end. There is no law forbidding Sunday
baseball. There is no law prohibiting |
the transaction Of the mercantile bust
ness. or any other business. in the con-
fines Of the District Of Columbia.
The police, however, can break up a
baseball game on Sunday on the ground
that IL is a public nuisance This IS,
IN a measure, relying on public senti-
ment 10 do the work done by laws and |
statutes in many other cities.
The recent complaint Of the Home and
Foreign Missionary Society Of the For
est Glen Presbyterian Church against
the Commissioners allowing Sunday
labor on the new Union Station and on
the filtration plant disclosed the fact
that the Commissioners are totally
without authority TO put a stop % the
Sunday labor. The contracts are not
with the District government, and there
is no law fOrbidding any form of manual
labor in the District on Sunday.
As a Public Nuisance.
The point has been raised IN some
quarters that the Sunday labor might
be stopped by the complaint that it is a
public nuisance. just as the Sunday
baseball games might be ended If &C.
caslou was presented for such action.
This. however. is not thought 70 be the
proper solution of the difficulty. Many
say that the time has come for legisla-
tion against Sunday labor, II IT IS to be
stopped at all.
Such an argument recalls the d!f1-
Guilty the District Commissioners had
last winter in advocating before Con
sress & law closing on Sundays the
butcher shops and grocery stores IN The
District The bill never became -aw.
This, as has been the case at other
times showed that the people Of Wash
ington while anxious TO observe Sun
day properly. are unwilling 10 have legal
restraints placed on them in the mat
ter.
Objection to Legislation.
Much objection to Sunday laws Is al
ways heard on the ground that this is
a departmental city. filed with clerks
and other business employees. whose one
chance for recreation is Sunday. when
there is no work under the present re-
gime. The argument Is that. if Sunday
laws against business and work are
adopted, the next step Will be regula-
tions against amusements and recrca-
tiOns. This however, IS thought 90 be
off the question. this is primarily a
city whose people go outside Of the Dis
trict for amusement. especially in the
summer time.
District Commissioner MacfarIand,
who IS greatly interested IN the matter,
sums up the situation as follows:
Sunday IS better observed as a day
OF rest IN the District of Columbia,
believe. than in any other important
urban community IN the United States.
Public sentiment IS Overwhelmingly IN
favor or Sunday observance. and this
has prevented great deal OF the unnec-
sary labor.
Work to Be Done.
everybody recognizes. Of course. that
there IS work that must be done on Sun
days-works OF necessity and works Of
mercy. Street railways and steam rail-
roads. telephones, and telegraphs are
examples Of things that are indispens-
able. Ice and milk must be delivered,
especially IN hot weather
But in all these necessary cases
work should be reduced to the minimum.
and that Is the practice here More
over. II an eIaplOye is deprived OF sun
0ag Ac ought 70 nave another reSt-ugy
in the week and most employers appre-
ciate that fact. We cannot work cOntin-
uOUsly without suffering for IL. and IL
Is admitted that il pays in the efficiency
Of the emDl0ye 10 see that he has
weekly rest day.
General Rest Day.
Sunday. as the general rest day,
ought 70 be protected from possible in
roads BY legislation wherever and when
ever II is necessary. The law closes
Hquor saloons and barber shops IN the
District OF Columbia, from u o'clock
Saturday night until Y o'clock Sunday
night. and that law IS enforced here as
such laws are not enforced elsewhere
Theatrical representations have also
been forbidden, under authority con-
ferred upon the Commissioners 20 re-
woke licenses for any afrront 10 public
cecency. but our theaters show no dis
position 10 give plays on Sunday. even
~ there was no provision against f.
Public opinion would frOwn upon theat-