The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-26

great majority of the church people are
in their contention that what is COM
monty called Sunday is the real sacred
Sabbath authorized by Scripture. II SO,
then Jew who attends theater at all
would have no conscientious scruples
about attending a Sunday performance
but he might have about attending a
Saturday performance. And isn't 1t
something of an interference with re-
ligious liberty to attempt to force men
and women to observe certain day IN
the week as a sacred day regardless OF
their own conscientious views on the
subject?
AS we have heretofore intimated it is
possible that these Sunday theaters
ought to be suppressed on general prln-
ciples. Not having attended any of the
performance we do not know, but II
their shows are not immoral we fail to
see why they should be singled out to
be prosecuted for violating the Sunday
laws 1t is possible that a good many
of the readers of the moral guide may
never have taken the trouble to read
the statutory provisions regarding sun
day and for that reason we herewith
quote them:
who shall either labor himself or COM
pei his apprentice, sevant or any other
person under his charge or contro! TO
labor or perform any work, other lnah
the household offices of daily necessary
or other works of charity, on the hrSt
day of the week, commonly called sun
day. shall be deemed guilty of mis-
demeanor and fined not exceeding $40:
Sec. 2257-The last section shall not
extend to any person who is a member
of a religious society by whom any 9th
er than the first day of the week Is
observed as the Sabbath, so that he OBJ
serves the Sabbath, nor to prohlblt
any ferryman from crossing passen-
gers on any day in the week.
Sec 225S-Every person who shall
be convicted OF horse-racing. cock
! fighting, or playing at cards or games
of any kind on the first day OF the
week commonly called Sunday, shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor
and fined not exceeding $50.
"Sec. 2259-Every person who shall
| expose to sale any goods. wares or
| merchandise, or shall keep open any
ale or porter house, grocery or tip
| nIine-shop, or shall sell or retail any
! fermented or distilled liquor on the
! first day of the week, commonly
| called Sunday, shall on conviction be
| adjudged guilty of m1sdemeanor ahC
| fined not exceeding $50.
| "Sec. 226O-The last section shall moi
| be construed to prevent the sale OF any
drugs or medicines, provisions, or oth'
| err articles of immediate necessity
| 1t will be seen from a perusal OF the
| foregoing sections that the legislature
| used some rather peculiar phrase
| oIogy For example, in Section 2256
| household offices are classed as work:
! of charity while the grocery is coupled
| with the tipping shop. While the
Eaeninr open of the grocery store or
| sunday is forbidden in Section 1858
Section 1850 permits the sale of pro-
| visions.
| Under the law a Jew might run g
| theater on Sunday with impunitJ
| provided he kept it shut on Satur-
| dav IF Mr.. Crawford and the other
| nroprietors of Sunday theaters viii
! ioin the Baptist denomination that OBJ
! serves Saturday and shut their thea
| ters on that day they can run them &C
| cordine to law on Sunday. And sup
| nose thew did, would the alleged evi
Of the Sunday theater be any less be-
| cause it was run by Jew or by Z
| Seventh Day Baptist?