The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-12-04

from selling on Sundays.
The construction of the law is appli
cable to every pursuit, except as ex
empted.
As proclaimed by Commissioner o.
Public Safety FulIilove, the Sunday Law
| is to apply to fruit stands, beginning
this morning.
While the Caucasian's knowledge O.
| law is limited and would not presume tc
contest with this official, the opinion o.
the Caucasian, expressed candidly anc
unreservedly, is that Commissioner Full
| lilove's conclusion is too radical and its
tendency is to arouse, unnecessarily, ar
antagonism which, as said in the eau
casian's last issue, will strengthen the
opposition against the Sunday law
If Commissioner Fu1lilove were to in
terpret the intent of the law literally he
would be justified in letting alone the
fruit stands on the authority of the-city
sordinance as to markets, where meats
and vegetables, etc, are sold"
Tn the etc" is given unlimited lati-
tude for fruit" besides the decision of
the Supreme Court in which fruit is
specified as saleable in the market, and
therefore is saleable in public or private
markets, why not at fruit stands?
In his proclamation Commissioner
Fullilove applies the definition of mar
ket" as place for the sale of necessities
and not luxuries. 1t is unnecessary to
waste space on this contention. It would
be as the straining at gnat and accord
ing to the proverb swallowing a camel
Are apples or bananas or grapes or in
a general sense fruit of any kind lux
urleS, but are not these as much necess-
ties as vegetables or any of the things
eatable in markets public or private
Is soda water a necessity of life?
Is not ice cream luxury, which is be-
yond the reach of many of the poor
who are with us always?
If fruit is saleable at markets why not
at fruit stands?
Would not the sale of fruit at mar
kets, private or public, be a .discrimina-
ton against the dealers in fruit whose
stands are to be closed?
1t was, according to tradition, an apple
which led to mans misfortune as we'll
as blessings which come undisguised,
and it would seem that the Commission
er of Public Safety is in an entangle-
ment with fruit stands and apples of
many sizes and varieties
Why not let the fruit stands alone?
The Caucasian has no interest, direct
or indirect, in fruit stands or in dealers
in fruit, but it is much concerned in the
Sunday law. Therefore it has already
protested and again protests against the |
attempt of enforcing a Puritanical de-
cree, which will lead to revulsion of |
feeling, an emphatic reaction which |
must prove to be detrimental to the well |
fare of this community.
It it be desired to keep the police busy,
there is field for operation in the en-
forcement of ordinances which, if dor
nant, may be revived into activity, nam
ng few such as fire escapes, guard |
wires, railroad crossings, the building
ordinance, and others which are de
signed to protect the people in their lives
and their property. /
It is not disputed that the Commits +
ioner of Public Safety is actuated by |,
he best and most conscientious of mo- t,
ives in the enforcement of law, but
here may be some unnecessary zeal in
,lacing a misconstruction on law which
hould be interpreted conservatively
The Sunday law, as designed in its en-
ctment, is to give to the people the full
st opportunity for recreation, and to
Leny the pleasure and satisfaction de-
iyed from eating fruit which they must
,uy, is strong smacking of the Blue !
avs of New England, when married
nan and his wife were imprisoned or
tucked in pond for kissing each other
N Sunday.
Let the fruit stands and the fruit :
ealer alone {
Do not make the Sunday law Cypress 7
We or ridiculous.