Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-01-08
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY s. 1905.
Sunday Closing.

Sunday Closing.
The Sunday closing movement had
another airing before the aldermen at
the meeting Msnday evening, this
time the opponents to the measure
having their say. The situation re-
mains just as it was last week.
Briefly stated, the order to enforce
the Sunday statute, passed by the
aldermen, still stands. 1t was the
intent of the aldermen who voted for
this order, and of the petitioners who
asked for it, simply to close the stores
which have been openly doing busi-
ness on Sunday. Unfortunately, per-
haps, the order passed does not stop
here, but instructs the city marshal to
enforce the entire statute.
This latter clause of the order the
opposition to the closing movement
is using as club. "If you close the
stores you'll have to stop all business"
is the position taken by the opponents
to the measure, the object being, of
course, to make the Sunday observ-
ance SO stringent that it will become
obnoxious, and the stores will again
be allowed to keep open.
Reduced to its simplest terms, the
proposition is this: A majority of
the people OF Ellsworth favors closing
the stores, but the small minority
opposed to closing hopes to balk the
majority by insisting on an enforce
ment of the blue-laws.
No reasonable man desires enforce
ment of the Sunday law to the letter
Of the statute. Carried to the
extreme, the city marshal might, in
the summer, arrest every person who
stepped from train at the Ellsworth
station, or who attempted to board
train on Sunday, as the same statute
under which it is proposed to close
the stores, forbids travel on Sunday.
It is obvious, therefore, that the
line must be drawn somewhere
through the statute. Call it nulliAca-
ton if you will, but the fact is that
large part of the Sunday statute has
long been recognized as obsolete.
Where shall the line be drawn? We
believe the line indicated by the petit
TONERS for the closing of the stores is
well defined and sufficiently liberal.
Close the sto-es-not the livery
stables; not the restaurants-no one
asked that and no one seriously wants
that, though urging i. as an argument
why the stores should not close.
Close the stores, and stop there.
At Monday evenings meeting,
when it was suggested that the matter
be left with the mayor, Mayor Greedy
said he was willing to assume the bur-
den. We believe he would carry out
the wishes of majority of the peo-
pie and the intent OF the order
passed by the board, if so burdened,
and what is more to the point, we
believe he is vested with this author
ity by the city charter, regardless of
a specific vote of the board of alder
men, land even eliminating entirely the
Sunday closing order previously
passed. Section 4 of the city charter
says:
''The mayor and aldermen shall appoint a
city marshal who shall be chief
OF police, and as such may enforce such
ordinances and regulations, under the direc-
ffon Of the mayor, as may be adopted by the
city council for the government of the city. "
Thus, apparently, the burden is
already upon the mayor. Taking him
at his word, we believe he will not
shirk it, and that in instructing the
city marshal to enforce the Sunday
closing law within reasonable bounds.
he will have the support of the best
element of the city.