The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1905-05-10
PURITAN BLUE LAWS,
Statutes So Severe as to Seem Inn pos
sible We're Enforced.

Statutes So Severe as to Seem Impos
sible We're Enforced.
1t is generally admitted, even by the
advocates of a sterner religion than is
usually professed in 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 a people who be-
lieved in taking literal interpretations
of the Old Testament as their guide in
the government Of a 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. A statute framed in
Boston in 1858 regarding the penalties
for breaking the laws of Sunday OBJ
servance 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 at 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 go, 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 In 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 a drink. Guards were sta
toned at the edge of town Saturday
night at shutdown to see that no vehicle
passed either in or out of the city from
ing day, and labor of all sort was pro.
hibited.
Even children were 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 grievous misdemea-
nor of childish laughter in public high
ways, and had been informed that GER
tain young people had committed the
offense against God Of walking In the
fields on the Lords day, that the stat
ute regulating penalties for these
faults had been enacted.
fender of that early day to plead ig-
norance Of the law than it is to-day.
Still, to make assurance doubly sure
that all Inhabitants knew what these
Sunday laws were, ministers were re-
ouired to read them from in front of
the meeting house twice during the
wear. 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 were responsible for the
mtsdemeanors of children between the
ages of 7 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 hs parents into open dia2faeA