East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-07-31

District Attorney G. w. Phelps this
morning issued an order to Sheriff
Taylor to close and keep closed, all
the saloons in Pendleton on Sunday
hereafter, in accordance with the
statutes of Oregon.
This action is the result of the OPEN
/ ing of all the saloons yesterday, in the
forenoon.
For some time past the saloons have
/ remained closed in the forenoon, by
mutual agreement none of them OPEN
ing until l o'clock in the afternoon,
but of late some of the dives and sec
ond class places have broken their
| contract and agreement and have been
opening early Sunday morning
Because of this failure on part Of
the dives to observe their agreement,
all of the saloons agreed late last week
to open as usual Sunday morning. and
accordingly, everything was in full
blast yesterday from early morning
until after midnight last night.
Complaint was made of the VIOLA
ton of the Sunday closing law this
morning before District Attorney
( Phelps and accordingly he ordered the
! sheriff to close everything and see
! that it is kept closed. All violations
! of the law will be prosecuted 10 tina
| limit, hereafter
/ If the saloons violate the law. conn
plant will be made against each one,
and each proprietor will be bound
over until the next term of circuit
court on each separate offense, be-
tween now and the time court con-
venes. which will be in October
As there are about 10 Sundays be-
tween now and the opening Of court.
the total fine for violations of the
law, should there be violation each
Sunday, would amount to about $3.50
each, as they will be prosecuted on
each separate offense.
The Law Enforcement league which
is now composed of over 800 voters in,
the city of Pendleton, is determined
to make a test of the law. and if il is
not satisfactory to the public, some
effort will be made at the next session
of the legislature to modify OF change
it to fit the public demand.
Sheriff Taylor and deputies will no.
tify every saloon in the city OF the or
der to close and the matter will be
closely watched to see that side ana
back doors are closed, as well as front
doors.
Yesterday morning four places were
found to be closed in the forenoon ac-
cording to agreement, as follows: The
Oregon Liquor House, Anton Nolte,
The Maze and the Brewery saloon on
Court street. All the other places
were open early in the forenoon, and
in the afternoon every place in the city
was open.
Complaint is made by farmers that
the open saloon Sunday demoralizes
farm work during harvest. as crews
come to town and remain all day Sun.
day and all Sunday night and as a re.
suit are unfit for work on Monday or
quit their jobs, and harvest is thus
delayed and loss occasioned, and the
farmers blame Pendleton for the con-
dition.
District Attorney Phelps declared
that he would vigorously prosecute
any one found violating the law, as it
is a plain statute, over which there
has never been any question and IL
will hereafter he enforced as long as
witnesses can be found who will COM
plain of its violation.
A majority of the better class OF sa-
loon men wish to close on Sunday. but
the cheap places and dives will not do
so, and consequently the better places
must remain open or lose business.
The agreement to close half day
would have been satisfactory to a
large number of people, who now de-
mand SUNDAY closing had tho ar.ree-
ment been observed by all But now
that the dive-keepers will not stand
by contract the law will be invoked
for every separate violation of which
they are guilty.