The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-12
ARTIFICIAL MORALITY.

ARTIFICIAL MORALITY.
 The folly of attempting to shove ahead towards more liberal observ- ance of Sunday town of the age, tra- ditions and prejudices of New Haven in an aggressive and somewhat arbi- trary manner is we'll illustrated in the proposed ordinance introduced into the | board of aldermen by MT. Cunning | ham, which provides for the legaliza- ton of the game of baseball on that | day between the hours of two and six i No sooner has the opinion of the cor poration counsel been asked than he tells the inquiring city fathers the only thing he could tell them, that the stat utes of the State forbid indulgence in sport between midnight Saturday and midnight Sunday, and that it does not lie within the power of an ordinance, however sensible in itself. to set aside or suspend a law of the State
 The word folly" is not used in this connection with any sense of critical unfriendliness towards Alderman Gun ningham. We quite understand the philosophy which prompted his desire to have the city formally recognize the innocent game of baseball between the hours named, when 1t could not possi- ply interfere with the religious ser vices of the day nor lower the public morals. The folly to which The Morn ing Journal-Courier refers is the un- dertaking to do by local action what can only be accomplished by State legislation It is folly because 1t quite unnecessarily perks the town up to an agitated state of mind There are peo- pie in the city of New Haven, and they are good people and law-abding citi- zens, who feel deeply upon this sub Nject of g more liberal Sunday. unmind- full perhaps that the Sunday of their fathers in no way whatever resembles the more liberal Sunday which has taken its place under their own eyes They have a right to their opinion, and in particular they have the right that a movement of this far-reaching char acter shall proceed along specific and specified lines of consideration They may and probably will be in the long run defeated in their cherished ideals. but it is nevertheless their privilege to contest any change in the observance of the day no matter how slight The corporation counsel discloses no per rendering his opinion. He may be for all that Is generally known the most ardent advocate at heart of the pro- posed baseball ordinance but as law yer and a sworn officer of the city he can interpret the law in but one way, and that he has done.
 There are three parties to this con fict of Judgment as 1t relates to the playing of baseball on Sunday during the afternoon. The first believe they are entitled to a larger measure of personal liberty on that day than they have and contend that there is nothing in the game calculated in any way to lower the morals of either the partici- pants or spectators. The second believt 1t to he their duty to resist any en- croachments upon the strictly inter- preted day of rest, regardless of the cncroachments which have c"crtaken it and cannot be shaken off, in or,,er to the better curb a growing restlessness among people who they fear are thoughtlcss and not to be trusted with the management of the day. The one aet is just as sincere as the other and enjoys equal rights in setting forth 1t: opinions The third watches the con troversy with indifference, having sympsthv neither with the athletic activity of the one nor the religious apprehension of the other. If there were no law recognizing sport as q crime the controversy would he soon settled by the aggressive will of the majority. Since there is a law its re- peal or modification preconceives 2 calm and reflective discussion of the merits of the case before the genera assembly This community has seen. if it has cared tc take notice. other indulgence, which certainly look to man up 2 tree like sports come into practice without protest, which of itself should suggest that sports of more maiol character will not weakly succumb tc unfriendiy opposition In other words the struggle must be transferred [, where it belongs, the halls of Stat, legislation
 Ii has been the observation of The Jour11al-Courier that more harm thai good is done by attempting to fore the issue where the general question of Sunday observance is concerned. Z safer and more desirable way is to le that mysterious but effective infiuenc'