The Topeka state journal., 1908-07-27
No Soda Water or Cigars 10 BE
Had at Any Price.
DAY A "QUIET ONE" !"
Druggists Say They viii heeT
shur on Sunday.
RumOr That Street Cars May
Also Be stopped.


day that would have delighted the
hearts of the founders of the old Ne"
Haven colony where the blue laws
were first applied and where the good
men and good wives were admonlsheo
and fined for liberties daily corrected
but never made criminal by the laws
of large and we'll poised communities.
The capital city of the free, enlight-
ened and progressive Sunflower state
was as quiet as a cemetery yesterday
so far as any business was concerned
though the ball game was played as
scheduled The people ate food, wore
clothes and walked about, but tnat
was all. Such crimes as smoking cl-
gars, drinking soda water, buying pea
nuts and pop corn and candy or seeing
a moving picture show were barred.
1t was not a half way sort or enort
toward closing up all places OF pusl.
ness and pleasures, but a universal
movement on the part of every dealer
of any kind of wares in the city TO
suspend all business on the Sabpath.
The lid was as tight as wax seaieu
Jar This large and prosperous city
yesterday resem mbled the shady lanes OF
a quiet country side. 1t was hot day
one of the hottest of the year, and the
people drooped under the suns rays
and pined for a cool drink from the
fountain (soda) but this was denied
Nor could one turn to Milady nicotine
for solace-cigars were positively not
on sale. While no deaths were report
ed, vet the city as whole was deau-
A man with a lunch basket in the
midst of the Sahara desert could nave
enjoyed all the luxuries and delights oi
civiliza ton possible in Topeka yester-
day OF course the world Is growing
better Think of Sodom and Tyre and
Tompeii These cities were DESTROYED
because of their iniquities, but TO-
peka shall endure forever because OF
her godliness and her streets be paved
with gold the day after the eternal
morning.
Topeka people are feeling proud to-
day of Sundays record. 1t has been
a couple of centuries since any city IN
this country has observed so strlctiy
the blue laws of New Haven. why. IN
Kansas City. the home of Judge WAL
lace. they sell cigars and run moving
picture shows and eat ice cream.
The announcement of the druggists
last week that they would close tlsht
on Sunday was carried out TO the let-
ter Only one drug store in the city
was open yesterday, and Frank Ho-
bart, the proprietor. vas In his store
for an hour or so only to answer any
call for drugs or medicine.
The confectionery stores and cigar
counters were u0SSIl pioSVS'.
of the ice cream wagon was DUMP anu
the butcher slept until the hour OF
noon.
Many people were in. doubt as to the
limit set by this blue Jaw. Could
Uvervman hire out a rig for pleas
ure drive? Many did not dare to do
so. The popcorn man was not present
neither did the peanut Vender snow
his face. The Italian restauranteur
debated with himself over those foods
that were considered necessary TO sus-
tain life and the many others that
only brought on the gout. and tried to
catalogue them on his bill of fare in
such shape that he was sure to keep
out Of +ail
The day was long and quiet and dull
Such another is likely to bring about
desperate measures. Mems minds will
give way under the strain and they
will dress again in knickerbockers and
look for a witch to burn. 1t is likely
also that a ducking stool will be built
on the rivers edge at City park.
large number of druggists and
cigar men were interviewed today re-
garding the Sunday closing situation
and all were unanimous in their de-
claration that they would stand pat on
Sundays action as long as state law
and city ordinance both hung over
them in the shape of one dark cloud
One well known druggist said: Il wish
you would make 1t plain that this clos
Ing OF our stores on Sunday Is not an
act of retaliation on the part of the
druggists. We simply cannot and will
not keep open and run. the risk of ar
rest and prosecution under both the
city ordinance and state law. There
Is no certainty that the ordinance pass
cd by the council the other night will
protect us. 1t is on the order of class
legislation. For my part I would be
glad to open on Sunday If can do so
to avoid arrest. 1t will cost me 81, 500
year to close up on Sunday. l have
a big soda fountain business"
Said another druggist: THE city or
dinance is an exact copy of the great
state law which declares that only nee
essary labor shall be performed on
Sunday. Now as long as the theater
men prosecute all who violate this or
dinance l am in danger of arrest and
/ propose to take no chances. / want
to ask YOU II it is necessary labor for
the street car company to haul excur-
sionists out to Vinewood and to the
ball games. If the theater men are in
earnest in their effort to have all obey
the law they should indict the street
railway. AS the matter now stands the
druggists and cigar men alone must
e~ffer pecuniary loss in this fight be-
tween the theaters and the city admin
istration for and against a blue law
Sunday
Galen Nichols, attorney for the
theater men. when asked today as to
whether or not he was going TO pro-
ceed against the street car company
for violation of the labor law on Sum
day. declined to make a statement.
Mayor Green stated this morning:
$50 long as am mayor of Topeka and
can get four councilmen to stay with
me the theaters will never open in this
city on Sunday. The city ordinance is
patterned exactly after the state law
and has been brought before the SUI
preme court by consent of the city and
theaters. Now after getting the de-
cision of that court on this matter to
repeal the ordinance would be to
atultify my oath Of office and the same