Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-12-27
SUNDAY LAW IS NEEDED.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec. 23.-Judge
Wallace of the Jackson county criminal
court who started the Sunday ObsefY-
ance movement that now has become
widespread, today issued significant
statement on his Interpretation of the
Missouri law that he is seeking to en-
force.
AS a result of Judge Wallaces cam
paign the county grand jury has since
September 10 returned 11O1 indictments
against violators of the Sunday law;
forced hundreds of shop keepers to close
their places on that day, and within the
past three weeks has placed over half Il
thousand Sunday working actors, act
resses, theatrical managers and their en-
ployes and others under bond for hearing
later. The grand jury is still in session,
and the judge says he will not cease his
efforts until the law is respected to the
letter.
Judge Wallace has for many years
been one of the foremost lawyers i'll the
state and has always fought for law en-
forcement. He was appointed to his
present position by Gov. Folk.
Ordained from Beginning.
Judge Wallace in his statement says:
1t Is d mistake to suppose that the Sab
bath is purely a religious institution, and
that it's enforced observance is for the
benefit of the church. The Sabbath was
ordained before man had fallen or there was
a church or the need for a Redeemer. BY
divine example the Almighty ordained it
by resting from the work of creation on
the seventh day and he impressed forever
upon it its sacred character by 'hallOwing
it. The Sabbath would be with US had sin
never entered the world.
Hence, when we think logically and his
toricaly, it is easy to perceive how it is
that a desire for a day of rest is a latent
intuition with the laboring man. The
tyranny of 5000 years of human avarice
has pra6ipatp1 if InSficH Field
long a member of United States su-
preme court, was right when as one of
the supreme judges of California he de-
clared that Sunday laws are enacted pri-
marily for the protection Of labor. We can
not wonder therefore that men who work
for wages in all the departments of human
industry are sending in the unanimous in
dorsement of the labor unions to which
they. belong. Nor should we wonder that
of Sunday observance. 1t can on Sunday
glut Its ravenous nav and more of the
wages that have been paid the laborer than
on any other three days of the week com
| bined. The Sunday theater, as rich a nar-
vest as the Sunday saloon, is proof of this
fact.
Importance Made Plain.
1t seems to me that as the abuse of the
liquor traffic is aiding the cause of prohi
bition, so the open and defiant deSecratioI
of the Sabbath is opening the eyes of mer
to the Importance Of Sunday observance
Then, too, the truth contained in the state
ment of Daniel Webster that the Sabbath
is the bulwark of liberties because II
is the bulwark of our morality is pressing
itself upon the attention OF patriotic Amer
leans.
When the grand jury was convened here
in September last over six hundred retail
groceries were open OF Sunday. Now they
are closed Every barber shop IN the city
is closed Retail merchants have closed, eX
cept a very few, who observe some othel
day as Sunday, as, permitted by our stat
utes The 1000 places where cigars anC
tobacco were formerly sold are obeyins
the law, excepting, now and then ciandes
tine sale. Only three pool halls and the
aters defy the law, and two of the latter
have recently closed. The credit. for this
result is due largely to grand jury com
posed of fearless, magnificent men.