The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-07-24
Moral Watchfrlness 0verdone.

We are informed two OF our citizens
have given notice to the meat markets
that hereafter they must not deliver
meat or ice on Sundays, upon pain OF
being prosecuted under the State law
which prescribes penalty OF one dol
lar for non-observance OF the Lord S
day.
There is a law upon the statute books
of South Carolina, which If strictly con-
strued, would put a stop to any kind OF
labor OF worldly nature, even to the
hitching OF horse to a buggy to take
an afternoons outing, or the cooking
of 4 meal by servant, ii jury
under this statute should decide the
labor is not NECESSITY or charity"
We are OF the opinion that law IS
based upon common sense and reason,
and IN this great government OF ours
laws are construed to apply to advanc-
inc conditions. There was time when
It was unlawful for man to kiss his
wife on Sunday or to stay away IRON
church: they also burned women at the
stake for witchcraft, and great nlanv
things were treated as crimes that an
advancing civilization have made obso-
lete or repealed entirely. The statute
under which people are to be deprived
of ice, beef and milk on Sundays II It IS
held to be good law, is entirely TOO oras-
tic. and can only operate oppresslveiy
against the poor, and aid in enrlchlng
those great enemies OF mankind, the
trusts. This law if held to not regard
the delivery Of ice, beef,and milk on
SUNDAYS during the heated term q
work of necessity, is without doubt
contrary to our ideas of ordinary hu-
manity, and cersaiuly against the in
terests, comfort and welfare OF those
who are not able to supply themselves
with refrigerators, or who have not the
means TO purchase in quantities to sup
plv their needs for long, hot summer
dav,and because they are not so blessed
by the laws of the land they must be
deprived of meat and milk on Sunday.
But believing as we do that the law IS
based upon common sense. we 40 not
think there is any violation of Section
500 when ice, beef and milk are deliv-
cred on Sundays. 1t is not violation
of any town ordinance because the town
permits, not the sale. but the delivery
within certain honrs on Sundays, and
we do MT think it violation OF the
State law because ''work Of necessity"
in the statute is excepted.
Section 500. ';No tradesman, artIhcer,
workman. laborer, or other person
whatsoever, shall do or exercise any
worldly labor, business, or work OF
their ordinary callings upon the Lord 5
Day. commonly called the Sabbath,)
or any part thereof, work OF necessity
or charity only excepted: and every
person being of the age OF fifteen years
or upwards, offending IN the premises,
shall, for every such offense forfeit the
sum of one dollar.
Section 50l makes selling on Sundays
subject to a forfeiture of the goods
sold> Section 5C3 forbids working on
Sunday in any machine shop except in
cases of emergency.
It will thus be seen even to the ordl-
nary layman that the trainers OF the
| law had in view the necessities of life,
and emergencies, and in providing pen
alties for the 'non-ooservance OF the
Sabbath" it was not the purpose to
bring or condition of deprivation. but
the intent was TO stop traffic, and to
protect the laborer in his day Of rest.
Every good citizen in this country
recognizes Sunday as the Christian
Sabbath, and whether he be Christian
or not. he respects the observance Of
the day, but there is reason in ali
things, and when it is attempted TO do
the Unreasonable, the courts apply tho
remedy to stay the hand of the fanatic.
The courts in number OF States
have held that the delivery of the
necessaries of life on Sundays was not
violation of the Sunday non-obser-
vance laws. Case after case have been
decided in favor of delivering milk and
ice on Sundays on the ground OF being
work of necessity" which is provided
for in our own statutes. And in some
States it has been held that the rua-
ming of ice factories was necessary
and could not be stopped. In this town
no beef, ice, or milk is sold on SUNDAYS,
but these articles are purchased tae
day before and delivered early SUNDAY;
morning. We have never heard OF
either market making a Sunday sale.
and it is only during the heated sum
ner months deliveries are made. these
we regard necessary, and il pot per-
mitted would entail hardships unneces'
Sarilv