The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-07
M1DD1Ero WS,s ExPERIMEsr.


 Naturally enough the determination of Mayor Fisher of Middletown to en- force the Sunday observance law in that city is attracting widespread at- tention. In sense it is a local enter prise, born of the mayors conviction that laws are enacted to be enforced, but in 0 wider sense it is a movement which is destined, if persisted in, to bring up for rational consideration the whole question of Sunday observance, the laws which undertake to define it and the public itself, which, as usual, is independent in it's manner of conduct ing itself.
 Mayor Fisher was successful Sun day in closing stores up, including drug stores, but this cannot be called suft1- cient test of his policy. It is when the war is carried farther as 1t must be if | 1t is to be effective war against liber- al Sunday, that the actual test will come. Already the fruit, candy and ci- gar dealers ask for an enforcement of the laws which shall avoid discrimina- ticn as between one kind of an invest ment and another They disavow any intention of being cranks, but they de- clare that if they are not permitted to cater to the small needs of their customers, which by no stretch of the | imagination can be called immoral, either in their indulgence or effect, the garage keepers ought to keep their doors shut. The management of an automo- bile establishment is quite as immoral as the management of candy store, in the judgment of these excellent and log | ical men, and they believe, too, that If the garage establishments are closed the keepers of them will see that the livery stables are also closed, and then an opportunity will be given all to sit down, with nothing to do, and talk the situation over.
 What Middletown must ultimately prove, if it keeps at the movement to have a closed Sunday, is that either a city of it's size. and necessarily mixed population, cannot hope to live under such severe laws, which were drawn to fit different state of mind, or that the only rational policy to pursue is one which undertakes to legislate upon the question of Sunday observance in a ! general way only and let's public opin- ion, which can be trusted in the State of Connecticut, if it can be trusted any where on this green earth, manage the case. We venture the suggestion that it would be an impossibility for Mayor Strdley to enforce the laws which Mayor Fisher is enforcing in Middle town While he might receive the sup port of a certain number of excellent people here, who are profoundly IT earnes. In their desire to have the old fashioned Sunday preserved, the stub born fact remains that with our more than ever mixed population and the liberal views which have in conse' ouenee been both imported and acqui esced in, the majority would recognize the futility of the undertaking from thC start. In fact, it has been that under. standing of public opinion here tha' has made Mayor studley one of the most popular mayors the city has hat in years, and which has aided him ir breaking the record in the matter oi successful candidates.
 The trouble with these occasional at tempts to strictly enforce the Sunday laws Is that while they almost invarla bly, end in failure they are apt In thu process to do more harm than good il misleading public thought with regard to the city itself. The one thing WI shall look to see Mayor Fisher accom- pHsh is the establishment of the un popularity of the movement and tn, encouragement needed to stimulate in telligent legislative reforms.
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