The Cimarron news and Cimarron citizen. (Cimarron, Colfax County, N.M.) 19??-19??, 1911-05-20
Judge Roberts on
Sunday Closing Law

Mexico which ] am required to call
to your attention especially, and
that is the SUNDAY law. The leg
islature has made it misdemean-
or for people 10 engage in certain
vocations on Sunday and has pro-
hibited all sports which interfere
with religious worship.
would not have you understand
that this law applies 20 all work
and business OF every kind, Tor Il
does not; the legislature has except
ediromthe inhibi,ions OF the statute
all works OF necessity. charity and
mercy. BY the word necessity,
the legislature intended to and did
exempt from the operation Of the
law such business as WAS reason
ably necessary for the comfort,
convenience, enjoyment and well
being OF man, which could be car
ried on without interfering with
religious worship OF the disturbance
OF society.
The Legislature did not intend
to give to New Mexico a Puritani-
cal Sabbath, and such business as
drug stores, confectioneries, news
stands, livery stables, garages are
not included within the provisions
OF the act, provided of course, thai
their business is carried on SO as
not to interfere with religious wor'
ship and the peace aud good order
of the community. OF course If
druggist should sell Intoxicating
liquor on Sunday he would be in
dictable. Likewise places of clear
wholesome amusement, which are
instructive in their character, are
not included, neither are butchers
and bakers, nor farmers, wheI
their labors are required to Irri
gate their crops or remove same
The law, in my judgment doe
not apply to baseball, so long a
the sport is properly conducted
and does not result in the distur
bance ol a worshippipg assembly
or interfere with religious Worship
We must tace conditions as the,
exist, and earnestly try to do tn
very best we can Tor the commun
ity in which we live. In order 10
our Sunday law to have any ehec
Tor good we must give to it a rea
sonable construction, and apply t
it good common sense.
The supreme court of the terri
tory has rightly held thatthe Sunda
law prohibits the sale of intoxica'
ing liquor on that day, so in Ne'
Mexico, as it is in every state /
the union, it is unlawful to sell N
toxicating liquor OH Sunday. w
can readily understand why tn
legislature intended to prohibit tn
sale OF liquor on Sunday. 1t Il
and has been, the general polio
oil the whole nation. Sunday IS
day of rest and recreation; there
a general relaxation from all bus
ness pursuits on this day. Wei
it not Tor the closing law, applyin
20 saloons, many men would natu
allv visit them and some oi the
would spend all their wages ear
ed during the preceding six day
and will become intoxicated, go o
on the streets and disturb me-
women and children. We a
know the harmful effects OF intoA
eating liquors. Il causes a drain
society, and every state recogniz
this, by either prohibiting q
traffic entirely, or licensing it, al
placing around it severe restrl
tions. The interest of society d
mands that such places should n
be open on a day OF rest, VIII
men are idle.
Pool halls also come within t
prohibition OF the Sunday la
Unfortunately this sport has be
allowed to degenerate by the pI
prietors OF most such places, q
Ill il has come 70 be a menace
society. Within the past monl
the authorities OF the city Of De
yer have announced that all p'
halls in that city are 10 be clos
permanently. That they were ru
ing more young men and boys th
the saloon. In most OF the pl
halls they have been carrying
illicit gambling, and their roo
have been filled with slot machiI
"a