The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-09
Delegation Of Association Headed By Rev..
Gerald Il. Beard, OF Park Street Congre=
gational Church, Visit Mayor Ia Ills Office
Executive Makes Request That Demand be Reduced 10 Wig
and Result is Unusual and Threatening Document Printed
Be|ow-Sermons 10 be Preached Denouncng Mayor,
After Being Duly Advertised, By 0c-
cupan1s Of Forty Pu|pits

laXed, that this discretion is in tn
criminal authorities and not in tn
mayor nor in the members of tn
Bridgeport Pastors association.
Much to his surprise, when the may
or read the communication addressed
to him by Mr.. Beard and others h
found that it contained gross AM
open threat, as follows:
"And we think that we ought
to say to you plainly, that unless
we receive definite assurances from
you by tomorrow that the law will
be enforced at Steeplechase Island
next Sunday and thereafter during
your term of office, the pulpits of
some forty churches will set the
facts of this lawlessnes and your
evasion of duty concerning it open
1y before the people next Sunday.
And because we understand as
we'll as you do, that talk is COM
paratively cheap if it is only talk
we think it right to add that this
will be only the beginning. The
assurance we ask of you it will
be necessary for us to receive by
noon tomorrow. Friday, as, lack
ing that assurance we purpose to
make public advertisement be-
fore Sunday of the meetings. and
addresses that will follow
The mayors reply is prompt dig
nified and conclusive
Merely referring to the threat, that
he will be denounced from 40 pulpits
and that public advertisement of the
sermons will be made, he points out
to the clergymen that for many years
a certain discretion has been exercised
as to what Sunday laws shall and
shall not be enforced, and that this
discretion has been lodged in the
criminal authorities.
a rafJJSaS as an executive officer
to Interfere with the criminal author
tiles.
He points out to the Pastors asso-
citation the effect of complying with
their demand.
A compliance would compel the clos
ing of livery stables, drug stores
candy stores, ice cream parlors news
rooms and every form of amusement
and activity from golf to baseball.
A man could not go to ride with his
wife upon the Sabbath Day in a hir-
ed carriage or automobile. He could
not procure medicine in illness, Or a
cool and healthful beverage, or dish
Of ice cream.
He could not buy Sunday news
paper for none could be sold within
the city.
1T is not us you are to obey, but
the law" said the delegation in its
written demand upon the mayor.
Yet, as the mayor points out in his
reply, the committee clergymen be-
lieve in Sunday concerts, which have
been selected to bear the burden of
special statute carrying penalty
to everyone who attends such a con-
cert, cor other amusement
1t is therefore not the law that the
mayors threateners are concerned
with but with securing a compliance
with their own imperative commands,
in which they seek to override the
public will of a community of 100000
people, to destroy customs of years
standings, amusements in the high
est degree healthful and promotive of
the public good.
News of the attitude of the pastors
association was rapidly circulated to-
day and was everywhere greeted with
condemnation.
Some citizens believed that the de-
mand upon the mayor was the sincere
demand of a fanatical group, but 9TH
ers saw in the affair a deeper mo-
tive, with it's source in certain sim
lister influences which seek the de-
feat of Mayor Buckingham in the next
election because of his continued en-
forcement of the rights of the public
as against powerful interests. with
adherents who are large contributors
to the finances of the pulpits which
are most actively engaged in the
to restore the ancient
Blue Laws.
In other words the hand of ''big
hUsiness' he's INTRODUCED itself into the
ePastors' association. to ac-
complish the defeat of a public SER
want hated for his justice and honesty.
Ana in this connection the suspicious
activity of some of the same gentle
men upon the eve. of earlier elections
has not escaped attention
Not that the good faItn of the
is challenged. but merely
the belief expressed that they are
the catspaw used to pull the chestnuts
out of the fire.
The great moral issue in the next
will be the relation of big
business" to municipal government,
and all attempts to obscure the issue
by making Bridgeport the home of
reaction and bigotry will fail
MAYOR Buckingham's friends wall