The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-04-19

Columbus April 19-Before making
known his attitude on the Anderson
Sunday baseball local option bill,
which has been passed by both
branches of the general assembly,
Governor Harmon will look carefully
into its constitutionality
This phase of the measure has had
his attention at intervals for several
days Yesterday afternoon the gov
ernor listened TO arguments for and
against the bill by clergymen, business
men, trades unionists and others. He
gave no indication of his purpose but
prediction was made yesterday by u
II he considers it unconstitutional, il Is
, felt that he certainly will veto it, The
prediction was made yesterday by a
friend of the measure that the COVER
nor would approve 1t, If convinced Of
its validity.
VIII Ace Quickly.
In any event, the governor Is ex-
pected to dispose of the bill within
two days. Baseball fans I'm many
Ohio cities want to submit Sunday
baseball playing to an option election
at the primaries May II, and after
this phase was presented to the gov
ernor he promised to act promptly.
The measure has not reached the
executive office.
| None of the speakers discussed the
alleged rnconstitutionality of the bill
but Governor Harmon inquired about
this phase of the situation. Charles
| Salen, Cuyahoga County Clerk. told
him Circuit Judge i. A. Henry
Cleveland, and attaches of the attor-
ney generals department, pronounced
the bill valid.
Priest for Measure.
"If we can't force men to sit in
church Ill Sunday, l favor having
them spend a portion of the time
they are absent that day In harmless
amusement" said Rev. Father John
Powers of Cleveland in speaking for
the Anderson bill at the hearing be-
fore the governor,
"If Sunday baseball playing is an
evil, 1t exists now. In Cleveland base
ball is played all day Sunday on every
vacant lot Church services are in
terfered with and I favor legalizing
the game and restricting II to the
afternoon from / TO 6 o'clock, as this
bill does. We want the laws observed
to thes letter, but If this cannot he
done, ! prefer half a loaf to none "
| G. Il, Graham of the order of Rail-
way Conductors told the governor the
bin had been indorsed by the Ohio
| Federation of Labor. James Schreiner
of GAINESVILLE and Charles Salen of
| Cleveland spoke in favor of the bill.
Salen told protesting ministers that
| Cleveland churches had baseball
league and the clubs played every Sun
day He read from a newspaper to
/ prove his assertion.
Il Cleveland Provides Diamonds.
/ Attorney Ed Strong Cleveland, de-
clared that there were SO diamonds In
Cleveland erected by the municipality,
at n cost of 100000, on which Sunday
games We're played. He argued that
II was better for these games to he
open on the Sabbath than to force
thousands into vicious forms of
amusement.
A town, author of the bill, said he be-
ieved 1t was temperance measure.
81 believe II will keep thousands OF
men from the saloons on Sunday said
he Most men get into trouble dur
ing their idle moments, This bill aims
to prevent that by permitting persons
to spend their leisure moments at ball
games
Before the hous~ cities committee
: Representative Kempel, eX-mayor of
Akron, said he always felt more se-
cure from trouble when he permitted
| Sunday baseball than when IL was
prohibited, He declared that the city
was easy To police when from 5000 to
5000 We're congregated at Sunday
baseball games"