The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-12-04
THE SUNDAY LAW.
he intent of the Sunday law is plain

transactions fOr at least one Gay III edCi
week of the year.
Before its enactment trade and traffic
on plantations, in stores in country town
and in cities, Shreveport for instance
had no Interruptions during the three
hundred and sixty-hve days of the year
To keep open these stores on Sundays
required the attendance of the ernploye:
as during the days of the week.
AS enacted by the Legislature, tht
Sunday law is to be observed as day
of rest and recreation. Each individual
in every community throughout the
State is left to his own inclination as tc
how he shall observe the day.
If one be disposed to attend all the
services at churches on the Sabbath day.
or to not go to church at all, there is nc
law to restrain him from this privilege,
If another be inclined to spend his
Sabbath day in the woods, or to remain
at his home, or to ride or drive about or
to do whatever his fancy may suggest
within reason and law, there is no power
to deny this indulgence. However, this
freedom of action should not be con-
strued as a license to disturb the peace
or. to cause any annoyance to neighbors,
Or to do any act or be guilty of any mis-
conduct for which there are provided, on
conviction, penalties in fine and inpris-
onnent in Jail
In the restraining of trade and traffic
on Sunday, the law provides certain ex-
emptions-undertakers, livery stables,
DIARIES, book and news stands, newspa-
pers, hotels, restaurants, drug stores,
bakeries, soda founts, private and public
markets, parks and places of amusement.
In these exemptions are embraced the
occupations which are best intended for
the welfare of man.
While newspapers are exempted, a job
print shop that would operate on Sun
day as on the days of the week would
be amenable to the law
The newspaper is excepted for the
reason that the Sunday morning news
paper is made up during portion of
Saturday and Sunday nights and the
as the book and news stands,
IS designed to add to the pleasure Of this
day of recreation.
1t is unnecessary to dwell on the un-
dertaker, or on hotels and restaurants
and drug stores. Each of these has a
distinct relation in subserying an indis-
pensable and mandatory purpose in. the
and SO has the baker.
The spirit of the law, in its application
to a day of rest and recreation, is en-
phasized in soda founts, parks and
places of amusement" and SO it is in its
connection with markets, public and pri-
vate
There is an ordinance of the city Of
in which is defined what is a
market. 1t is where meats and vege-
tables, etc, are sold.
There is another ordinance Of the city
which applies to the regulation of mar
kets, private and public.
In section 8 of this ordinance, adopted
March II, 1901, it is stipulated: For
zach vegetable stall 80 cents; fish 80
cents; fruit stand 80 cents" These are
he fees fixed for each stall occupied by
he vendors of the articles.
Besides the ordinance of the city re-
.erred to, a market has been defined in
he case of State VS.. Fernandez, as be-
ng place for the sale of fresh meats,
lsh, game, poultry, vegetables and fruit "
This construction of market place was
conceded by Justice Fenner, who, how
yer, dissented from the decision of the
majority of the Supreme Court on the
appeal from the subordinate court.
The contention was that holding a
.rocery establishment in public market
vas not exempt from sale on sunday.
The construction by the Supreme
Sourt in this case was in substance that
- 1<SS5oittllttS 8Ou10 11UI dIlQ uiQ iIOL
esign to require such closing in one or
more places and permit the opening of
imilar stores and establishments at
ther places, on the same day. Such
egislation would have been unjust,
'dious, despotic and oppressive Is
It may be explained that in this dis {
enting opinion, while Justice Fenner
greed as te what is a market place, he
elieyed that groceries and such things
$ were needful could be procured in the
market house ''on the day upon which
ehy are used L
The spirit Of the law is against dis L
Elimination. A drug store is prohibited
rom selling cigars on Sunday, for the {
eason that this would be a discrinina- It
on against the cigar stands and dealers II
cigars and tobacco who are prohibited ]