Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-27
Wants Every Place of Business and
Amusement Closed.
STICKS FOR LETTER OF THE LAW
Liquor Dealers Approve Action as
Their Last Recourse.
COURT FIGHT SEEMS POSSIBLE
Mayor DahIman Has Five hOayu
in which to Act and Says
He VIII Take the
Count.


Commanded one day by the Anti-saloon
league to pull down the screens from sa-
looms that obscure their bars from public
view. Mayor Dahlman is ordered the next
day by the saloon men to close every pie
Of business in the city on Sunday and en-
force the most radical and rigid observance
Of the Sabbath day. And the mayor finds
himself a very much ordered servant.
Charles e. Fields, justice of the peace
and editor Of the Protector. the liquor
mems organ in Omaha, late yesterday
evening served notice upon the mayor, COM
manding him to enforce to the very letter
Section 2n of Chapter % Of the. Criminal
code, which provides that all places Of
business and amusement shall be closed on
Sunday. The mayor is given five days in
which to act He says he will take the
count.
"I really do not know what 1 shall do
unless 1t be to do what every man and
woman tells me to do" said Mayor DAHL
man. II think we have at last come to
that stage of our political affairs when
the officeholder Is indeed the servant OF
the people who elect him. In the last
week have been served with orders from
two sides of opposing forces In the first
instance, when the temperance folks COM
manded me to order the saloon screens
down issued a proclamation in compliance
with their demands. 1 don't see any alter
native in the latter case, but as / have
Ave days in which to act l need not attempt
and do not attempt to outline my action
onight I want It distinctly understood, /
have not announced my determination"
This is section 24l Of Chapter % Of the
Criminal Code of Nebraska, under which
Mr.. Fields issued his demand upon the
mayor and under which he proposes for
the mayor to act:
II any person of the age of Il years or
upward shall be found on the frst day OF
the week. commonly called Sunday, sport
ing, rioting, quarreling, hunting, fishing or
lshooting. he or she shall be fined In a
sum sun not exeeedtng & 80 or DC connned seann IN
twenty days, or both, at the discretion Of
the court: And y any person Of the the age s
the first day OF the week. commonly called
Sunday. at common labor work Of neces-
sity and charity only excepted) he or she
nor less than 81; providing nothing herein
contained In relation to common labor on
the first day Of the week. commonly called
Sunday, She he construed to extend to
those who conscientiously do observe the
seventh day OF the week as the Sabbath,
nor to prevent families emigrating from
travelling, watermen from landing their
passengers, superintendents or keepers OF
toll bridges OF toll gates from attending
and superintending the same, or ferrymen
or persons from moving their families on
such days or to prevent railroad conf
panies from running necessary trains.
Only Thing for Them to DO.
II have taken this action in my capacity
| of a private citizen" said Mr.. Fields, "and
not as the representative of any interest. 1t
seems this Is about the only thing to be
i. Ia ,oto
think this embroglio is one in which all
the people Of Omaha are interested. / am
| for one"
This action on the part of Mr.. Fields is
not the action OF the Retail Liquor Dealers
association" said Henry Heating. secretary
of that organization. "of course we are in
/ sympathy with this action. We look upon
| Il as about our last recourse. We stated
/ when the mayor issued his proclamation
| for the screens to come down, that we
would forthwith comply with his orders and
! now we shall expect as prompt compliance
| with our demands. for we are stickers
for law, you know"
| Asked II the saloon men proposed to con-
test the law under which their screens were
ordered out, Mr.. Heating said:
"Well. we simply propose to take up the
whole matter Of saloon regulation and Sab
! Datn observance AoBelneI ana llnu Oul Wndl
are our rights and what are the chances
Of getting them. we shall go ahead quietly
and orderly with our business affairs and
allow the law to take its course in all these
matters. But we do not propose to be the
victims OF discrimination. If saloon Is tC
be closed on Sunday. then so must every
other place that comes under the operation
OF the law that regulates our AFFAIRS Tha
law is plain and we are not able to see why
1t should be enforced with reference to one
| set of persons and not with another or all.
Adventists Not Affected.
In the discussion Of the Sabbath observ
ance law some agitation has arisen as Il
the rights Of the Seventh Day Adventist
and those observing Saturday as their Sab
bath. Some one has facetiously asserted
that President johnson Of the city council
who operates his printing house on Sun
day because he is a Seventh Day Adventis
and worships on Saturday, would be deal
a body blow with the big stick. But thu
law plainly exemDts those who conscien
tiously observe Saturday as their Sabbath
from its operations.
1