The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-16
Sunday Amusements Will Be
Attacked Under Another Plan.
New Ordinance Applying to
Them Will Be Passed
HUNTING UP FACTS.
Talk of Bringing Action Against
Sunday ViOlators.
Would Apply to Cigar, Candy
Stores and Newspapers.

Il The city council will now attempt
to go cunning for the Sunday theater
and all Sunday amusements with a
new weapon.
The weapon is in the form of a new
ordinance to be introduced at the next
regular meeting of the council on
August 3rd and which will provide for
the regulation of all licensed amuse-
ments and included in this scope of
regulation will be the forbidding of
any Sunday amusements.
The city attorney has already pre-
pared the form of the ordinance and
insists that it can stand the test of
courts as to its constitutionality. He
claims that it is a perfectly good gun
with which to go hunting, that it's
sights are perfect. the barrels of da
mascus steel. has safety feature and
is an accurate, hard shooter. The
theater people say the proposed law
is nothing but a flobert and cheap
one at that when it comes to being
a weapon.
So, there you are.
1t will be up in the courts again
and the theater people will probably
enjoy the respite at least which will
follow until the district and in turn
the supreme court has passed upon
constitutional then they will continue
to swing wide their doors seven days
in the week and if the other sort of a
decision comes down-well, maybe. they
will close up on Sunday. But the last
is a guess.
Councilmen have requested the city
attorneys office to draft an ordinance
providing for regulation and assuming
a new tack to a solution of the vex-
some question. 1.-The ordinance will be
4 80
the council, which comes on the
3d. said the city attorney. II have
1 looked up the question very carefully
and feel sure that the ordinance will
be proven good law. There is not an
other ordinance just exactly like 1t
and we are cutting loose from our
moorings and turning out but I think
| that we can demonstrate the strength
of our position based on decisions of
the courts
Mayor VIM. Green admitted that an
ordinance calling for regulation was
under consideration. 1T was talked
of last fall but it was not adopted for
several reasons. one pefng that the
theater managers at the time ex-
pressed themselves as content to test
the existing labor ordnance said
the mayor. &c - iFz7-- =
VIII Test New Law.
eve certainly will test the new law
when it is passed" said Galer
Nichols. an attorneyFfor the theatrical
interests If the lid fits on tightly in
Topeka Sunday no prosecutions will
follow but If the confectionery and
cigar stores remain open. the drug
stores sell soda and cigars representa-
tives of the theaters will spread out
over the city seeking evidence which
I they will submit to the police judge
and ask for the arrest of the parties
found violating the Sunday labor law.
. I'VE have got considerable evil
dence together already" said Nichols,
, secured about a week ago. What we
: will do Sunday depends altogether on
whether these places open up, Any OF
| these places where We take 1t the
! law is violated will be considered.
This will take in the newspapers and
all the other stores. with the excep-
: ton of the drug stores where no soda
! | or cigars are sold"
"Will it include the street cars?"
well, no.
The theatrical interests were
dubious as to the policy the chief of
police might follow upon the sub
, mission of the evidence.
+ plants there is nothing for Chief
? Eaton to do but make the arrests, .
: said the mayor. He is an officer OF
the court and they could mandamus
him. The situation will largely lie
with Judge Urmy-I- nave never
talked with him about it but 1 pre-
sumo that If any responsible parties
come before him with complaint
that he will swear to it,
IF the complaints are written out
will swear to them said Judge Urmy
Its the business of the city attorney
, to write them out and if they are
properly written out and presented
will certainly act as any judge of d
police court should"
: Let them get busy said the city at
p Mt RI Cfar
l thing next Sunday this office will be
4 ready There will be no tagging here
Mayor. had I better buy my Sunday
l supply of cigars and ice cream on Sat
7 urday?" asked a man laughingly at the
city hall this morning
well it might be good idea to buy
your cigars but your ice cream would
= proba bly, melt" returned the city's
U chief executive.
AS far as the machinery of the police
2 court and the police officers is coz
$ cerned it is at the disposal of the the
atrical interests If they follow out the
n proper forms but arrests of organists
\ and paid choirs at the churches will
i not be included as a part so at leasI
n was the opinion expressed by the
o mayor.
The new ordinance will embrace the.
. aters. merry-go-rounds, circuses and al
| forms of amusement which the city