The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-25
HAS LOOK
Strange Anti Sunday Baseball
Law Recommended.
Nay Be Played without Charge
for Admission.
HAD ALVEY DEBATE.
Stone of Shawnee One of the
Leading Advocates.
Applies to All Forms Of Public
Amusement.
HAD ALVEY DEBATE.

A queer kind of make-Shl1t 1or an
anti-Sunday baseball law was given the
o. K. of the house committee of the
whole in its session Thursday after
noon.
The bill as recommended by the COM
mittee provides that baseball. shows,
circuses. vandevilles and theatrical per-
formances shall not be given on Sun
day for which admission or en-
trance fee is charged or collected
The natural effect of the law is to
hit hardest the clean, welI-conducted
and orderly professional baseball games
in the large cities. and permit the ''keg
parties in the small towns which often
masquerade under the name of base
ball, to continue as heretofore.
The test votes on various amendments
IN the committee of the whole showed
that the house members were nearly
two to one against Sunday baseball
The clean-cut issue was raised in the
ingalls, amendment to the bill, which
simply eliminated baseball from the
provisions of the anti-Sunday act. This
amendment was beaten by vote Of
81 to 40.
The Mitchell amendment to the law.
which inserted the words for which an
entrance or admission fee is charged"
was generally supported by the friends
OF Sunday baseball, as we'll as a good
many others, and carried by vote of
65 to 81.
Then the Stone amendment. which
struck the words which disturbs the
OF the week" out of the bill, was passed
by vote of "A to a.
The bill was then recommended for
passage by a viva voce vote Mr. Stone
made an effort to have the bill placed
on third reading at once when the COM
mfttee arose, but this required a sus-
vote. The vote to suspend the rules was
40 for and So against and the motion
therefore failed of passage.
The anti-Sunday baseball bill as it
was reported from the committee of the
whole, is as follows:
ANY person who shall be convicted
OF exhibiting or giving any circus or
show, vaudeville or theatrical perform
ance, or playing baseball, for which an
admission or entrance fee is charged or
collected, on the first day of the week
commonly called Sunday, shall be deem
not exceeding $780,.
The fight opened with a motion by
robert stone to strike out from the
substitute bill the words which dis
turbs public peace and quiet"
Sheffield ingalls, said that he
thought people generally want Sun
day baseball and moved to amend
stones motion by striking out base
ball from the prohibited Sunday
amusements.
D. c. Fraser, who Introduced the
bill-No. 23-said he had received 1877
petitions with over 5000 signatures
against Sunday ball and didn't see how
they could be disregarded.
Mr.. Stone said: IF we permit play
Ing of baseball We will lose sense of
sacredness of the day. and will permit
an encroachment on a day which is
dedicated to rest
A. Scope of Jewell wanted to put
provision in the bill prohibiting base
ball on Sunday when played for an
F b Wheeler of Crawford smoke
against the bill Mr. Wheeler remark
ed that they never could play base
ball for sour apples in Topeka" hav-
Ing evidently forgotten about the
Cooleycrows- He said he didn't be-
lieve in trying to regulate peoples
morals in matters of attendance on
Sunday ball games.
E. J. Fisher of Chautauqua county,
apologized for being the kid mem
Der" of the house and made a speech
against Sunday ball. He told hor-
vaudeville shows wreck the beautiful
young girls and boys of the COM
munity.
]. D. Flanagan of Decatur county
said there was nothing in the Bible to
prevent people taking recreation on
Sunday He said; You can't pass
enough laws to stop baseball, and
some of it will be played on Sunday"
H. w. Grasse of Rush said that the
people who had signed the petitions
against Sunday ball are the very best
in the state
w. r. Stubs said: "I want to go
on record as opposed to baseball on
Sunday for profit. and the same idea
applies to a vaudeville show It is
Just as bad to have these things on
Sunday to have butche r shops and
other commercial establishments open
on Sunday. I have been engaged in a
business where 1t has sometimes been
necessary to work on Sunday, and
want to say that it isn't good business
or good sense
Z ]. 1. Saunders of Sedgwick county,
the minority member, said he is op-
posed to Sunday ball chiefly because
of the Sunday excursions, on which