The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-19
g. s. ladders Critfcises Crusade
Against Sunday Baseball.
Thinks Churches Of Kansas
Have Carried Things Too Far.
FOR THE POOR MAN.
Sunday Afternoons Are For
Their Personal RecreatiOns.
Club Secretary Addresses Open
Letter to Union.
FOR THE POOR MAN.

That the more wide awake business
and commercial interests in Topeka
will oppose the new scheme launched
to prohibit Sunday baseball in Kansas.
was evidenced by an open letter adj
dressed to the State Civic Federation
by George S. Badders secretary of the
Topeka Commercial club this after
noon.
letter to the allied religious interests,
Secretary Badders gave his views of
the Sunday baseball question.
Claiming that the church was weak
ening it's influence and was everstep-
ping the bounds of their work, he
gave forth many reasons why Sunday
baseball should be allowed.
MFR. Badder's Letter.
The letter in full as follows:
n. r. Shirk, Topeka, Kan.
Dear Mr.. Shirk: l notice by this
mornings paper your name among
others as an executive committee that
will conduct q campaign especially
against Sunday baseball.
THE first time you are by the club
I would be glad if you would stop and
see me, as I evidently need educating
on this Sunday baseball proposition.
have never been able to see anything
very radically wrong with Sunday
baseball. 1t seems to me that obnox-
ieus legislation, especially Sunday leg
islation, has almost reached the limit
in Kansas and the churches by taking
up this movement are certainly going
to antagonize very large portion of
their membership, and 1 believe that
such things where they are uncal1ed
for, as I believe this is, but weaken
the work of the church in its proper
field of activity.
| 81 have been a constant attendant
at church services myself for years
and take more or less interest in the
Y: M. c. A. and other organizations
which are working for the uplift of
humanity and I should certainly be
very sorry to see the campaign waged
which by the tone of the article in
| this mornings paper is going to be
waged against Sunday baseball
might state that my principal reason
for being opposed to Sunday baseball
| legislation is that the laboring man
and office men, the man who earns his
daily bread by the sweat of his brow,
is the one we are striking the hardest
when we attempt to do away with the
| most popular sport in America.
Personally I do not attend Sun
day baseball games for the reason that
can attend on other days of the
week and prefer to use my Sundays in
other ways, but that is my own affair
and 1t is also the personal privilege of
those thousands of workmen and Of
flee men who cannot attend baseball
games on other days of the week to
get out on a Sunday afternoon under
Gods blue sky and sunshine and
watch clean, decent game of base
ball If they are so inclined and we as
church members have no right to in
fringe this innocent pleasure of theirs
in any way.
ut is not so many years ago that l
myself, was opposed to Sunday base
ball, but it was soon brought home to
me that [ together with thousands of
other church goers in this city and
state often times engage in pleasures
on a Sunday afternoon Infinitely worse
than sitting out in the pure, fresh air,
watching game of baseball.
CAS- stated at the outset, if I am
wrong on this proposition I will be
glad to be set right, but I am thor
oughly convinced at this time that
you are making tremendous mistake
by forcing upon the people of Kan
sas this bit of obnoxious legislation.
you will please take this letter
as coming from me personally, rather
than as secretary of the club.
Yours very truly.
GEORGE s, BADDERS.
Secretary Commercial Club,
| Topeka, Kan, Oct. 10, 1910.