The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-04
SUGGESTS LOCAL
OPTION SUNDAY
BASE BALL
Would Have Vote of the Village
Decide the Question
THREE LETTERS ON SUBJECT
Rev. George S. Mills, Homer II. Web
ster and Rev. Philip Schuyler
Discuss the Matter.

Editor of the Banner:-Sun
base ball is not a new thing in Ben
nington. We have had it for years.
but not until last season did We have
the public, professional game There
is a distinction and a difference
which the writer's in yesterdays Ban
ner failed TO take into consideration.
Amateur base ball as it has been
played in Bennington for years at
The Desert" and other places in this
vicinity, between local teams, has not
been attacked. 1t is the professional
game that is questioned
| note that certain bills recently in
troduced in other states legalizing
Sunday base ball allowing for anna
teur base ball under certain restric-
lions but that the professional game
is not provided for
If the professional game is all right
for Sunday, why not have it at Nor
gan's Park? Why slyly inaugurate
the scheme at Tudor's Park? Why is
it necessary to misrepresent the at
titude of local ministers?
II 1'tAhH AliN SAINT " 40 iOA dAAbMtu
at North Adams or Pittsfeld last
year, therefore they came to Hoosick
Falls and Bennington.
Let's be fair in the matter What
does the professional game provide
in the way of healthful recreation
that the amateur game does not? We
have had the latter for years. All
advocate of the game said to me yes
! terday: A man working in the mill
all the week is soft and not fit to
4 play the game himself" 1t is n sol
ry admission and | trust not entire
4 ly true. If true contend that whar
/ they need is some light exercise il
the open air and that the mere watch
ing of other men play the game for
hire is poor substitute for first hanC
body building
contend that the few" are no
disposed TO exercise a narrow spirit
in this matter that we would welcom,
public play ground where the youth
and older men might find healthfu
recreation in the open air and would
cite this fact as proof
During the past winter coasting ant
snow shoeing have been ideal in Ben
nington Both of these healthful re
creations have been INDUCED on Sun
day and | have heard of no attemp
to prohibit them We who are 81
fortunate as to have our Sundays t,
ourselves TO do as we think best
should hesitate TO dictate the cours
for another If We can show them
better way well and good, but the
must exercise their own conscience
In this connection we who have tn
day to ourselves should have in min
the comfort and welfare of those no
so blessed and so plan our purchase
that the merchant and marketma
will find little need, if any for keel
ing his place of business open on Sur
day How many conductors on tn
trolley line favor the Sunday game
One hesitates to venture an opinio
for he is likely to be misunderstood
and branded as narrow bigot eve
when attempting to look at quei
ton in broad, fair way. We woul
ask for the same broad charitable il
depreciation that is exercised in othe
directions 1t seemed to me that Sc
eral points in Wednesdays articI
We're we'll taken and borne out by tn
facts of the case. To settle the poir
of public sentiment would suggei
straw vote of the village of Be
, nington on the question Shall pr
fessional base ball be permitted
, Bennington on Sunday?'
Homer H. Webster.