The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-11-08

lIr. Editor:
There has been so much said and
written in the past three weeks about
the present Sunday ordinance that il
may be well for the information of
the citizens of Ardmore to state the
facts in relation thereto When the
present city administration came into
power on the 1st day of May, 1909, it
was with the distinct understanding
that the laws should be enforced and
every citizen given his legal right.
When the necessity for the enforce
ment of the Sunday law forcibly pre-
sented itself the Board of Commits
sioners faced the fact that there was
no Sunday ordinance on the ordinance
book of the city which could be en-
forced, as 1t conflicted with the state
law, which left the board OF commits.
siOners without any control over that
day except through a Justice court At
the request and consent of three of
the board and at the urgent soliCita-
tion of men in nearly every calling,
the mayor asked the city attorney to
prepare an ordinance in conformity
with the state law, as all ordinances
/ passed by the city councils of this
state must not conflict with the stat
ion Of hn cf nd
this provision is written in the char
ter of our city. Owing to the peculiar
wording of the state law (Which dealt
with commodities and not business, as
to selling), the city attorney copied
bodily the state law and presented it
to the board who, to some extent, Dro-
nounced it drastic and asked how il
might be modified The city attorney
was then asked by the mayor to run
down the decisions of the higher
courts to see what had been held by
them as to what commodities could
be legally sold upon the Sabbath day,
with the result that only such articles
as specified in their decisions were eX-
empted from the opeation of the state
law, which was all the board could le-
gally do The modified ordinance was
then submitted to the board and it
passed without dissenting voice.
1t can now be readily understood
why cigars could be sold and not TO-
bacco and so on through the entire
GAINES-FOUR
list. The board did not discriminate
against any article but exempted only
such as they had legal right to do.
When the petition for further ex-
emptions was presented to the Board
with 2S1 signatures, a majority of the
board voted against granting it for the
reason that they could not legally do
so, and for the further reason that
such action would have opened every
grocery store in town and the ordi-
nance would have been practically
dead. 1t might have been good politics
to have voted for ii, but it would have
been, from the writer's standpoint, a
violation of his sworn duty to Ell
force the laws of his state. Whenever
the state legislature modifies its stat,
utcs or the higher courts of our state
or other states make further exemp-
tions the board of commissioners will
he ready to comply with such modifi-
cations.
1t has been stated that Adam was
refused an apple. but afterward got it
by disobeying the law. Does anyone
remember the price he paid-the sen
tencc of desth upon himself and family
and upon the whole human race, and
that sentence is being sternly execut,
ed even to the present day.
No. Mr. Editor, under the present
city ordinance every man is getting
his legal right, and from a moral
standpoint there is nothing due him
and there can be no argument against
il.
II has recently been stated by one
that money from the sinking fund of
the city has been diverted to pay |
salaries of the employees of the city, I
but this is at variance with the truth,
for we have a sinking fund in name, |
but there has never been a dollar in /.
u since have been in the employ of |
the city, and as far as can find, for |
a long time before.
In conclusion, Mr. Editor, this is the
home of our governor, and I am proud .
of It. and he has proclaimed from the |
beginning of his present administra-
ton that clean government and obedi-
cnce to law throughout the state was
of fbe most vital Importance to the