The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-20
BANKS FAVORS
LIBERAL Law
FOR SABBATH
(Contiued from Page ~

open, no sport, save what is neceS-
sary for the general welfare of the
community" This was the phrase on
which the discussion of the bill of
two years ago hung. 1 think recrea
ton ought to be permitted and that
1t Is for the general welfare of the
community. I will be content with
bill that does not allow professional
baseball Would not prohibit selling
newspapers cigars, tobacco, ice
cream. soda water and medicines.
When town deems it necessary to
stop the sale of these things it can
lawful. I believe in a quiet Sabbath.
If l could have my way precisely
would have very quiet Sabbath day.
love to hear the music Of the
church bells on a quiet Sunday morn
ing. I don't go to church.; have
church, however.
Passing on to the law, you have
that we return to the Sunday of
generation ago." You ask that this
sentatives. Now I do not concur with
your resolution at all. It makes no
difference to me personality violate
the law every Sunday when I ride
horseback and buy a newspaper. 1t
law when go horseback riding on
Sunday. But I cannot be convicted
for buying a newspaper on Sunday.
You ask for the retention Of the
present law and also to go back a
generation. At this point Judge
woman in 1895, which reached the
Superior court, in which she sought
damages from a trolley company,
wing to an accident which befell Der
while riding on Sunday. The de-
Tense was that she was engaged in an
unlawful occupation. and therefore
could not sue for damages. But the
opinion Of the court, written by
Judge Baldwin, now the Governor,
was that it Is lawful to ride on a
trolley on Sunday; And this took
Of such law. that enables able law
yers to interpose 1t as a legal de-
Tense against recovering damages?
Fortunately. since then, the word
travel has been stricken out. Up
to 1897 you could not recreate. My
own judgment is that the Sunday law
will be liberalized. now or later. A
man was arrested in 1897, either
Stamford or Greenwich for knocking
a golf ball on Sunday. The case
came up before Mr.. Fessenden in the
Superior court. He didn't like it that
such case should come before him,
or the court. and induced the legis-
lature to strike out the word "recrea-
tion." Once people were arrested in
Fairfield for travelling on Sunday
arrested, tried and convicted, in
yonder Town house. I have the rec
ord. The complaint ran to Samuel
Rowland, Justice Of the Peace, where
in one Beers complains that on the
25th of March, 1910, Isaac Bronson,
of Greenfield Hill, disturbed the
peace. by travelling through the town
want on horseback. This was only
100 years ago. The witnesses were
one Burr and two men named Sturges,
all familiar names in this town. Mr..
Bronson was found guilty, but ex-
cused on the ground Of necessity. He
you don't quite mean that you want
to go, back to something like that I
am sure you do not mean that. I
Nave received resolution from
Bridgeport Superintendent Of Sun
day schools, said to represent a large
number of churches and thousands of
people. 1t deplores the liberalizing
of Sunday, but asks for half holi-
day for laborers. That of itself is
the strongest kind of an argument for
li1eralizin ng.s SUNDAY day Resolutions
with me. Give your reasons-that is
what we are here for. A resolution
from $4,000 people would not effect
my judgment a particle. At this
point Judge Banks illustrated his
point by reference to the vote which
seated Senator Lorimer. He said he
knew nothing about the case, not
having read the testimony-nor do
you. I took that ground at Hartford.
that no man in the House knew any
thing about Lorimer, and I would not
let the resolution! condemning, sena--
tors Buckley and Brandegee be put
to a vote. I do know that one Of the
most honest and sincere men in the
U. S. Senate is Tillman of South
Carolina. At first he was, opposed 70
Lorimer. But being in doubt he read
changed his mind. He voted for
him, for he knew what he was do
ing, and had a right to express an
opinion. 4 fancy that has some
thing to do with this Sunday mat
ter AS Professor Sumner Of Yale
troubles comes from the fact that A
and B get together and map out
course for G to pursue. Just agree
that other people have the same
rights that you have-not to go to
church or to do anything else.
near church. There are a lot of
people who are cooped up on week
days and on Sunday they want to
get out into the open air. 1t is of
go on breaking the Sabbath as have
been doing. / lead a strenuous life
and at the end Of the week feel al
most used up. I have been eager II
chop wood in my back yard, as
true rest There is nothing so rest
full for me except horseback riding
But I have denied myself, because I
knew you would think I was doing
something wrong on the Sabbath.
There wouldn't have been any harm
in it. 1t is so restful for me! I am
thinking of the thousands less fortu-
nately situated than you or I, who
thoroughly need out Of door recrea-
ton. You ought not to prescribe for
them. You have no right to be Of
Tended with me. No one interferes
with your rights. Give the less for
tunate your consideration, and let
them do what they want to do. There
about these things. Let us talk it
out to finish. No one has a greater
respect for sincerely religious man
than I. I have no sympathy fer
noise on Sunday down in the village.
Stop your noise in the village; want
it stopped as much as you do.
Nov we come to diversions. The
law says that any one attending a
concert of music, dancing, ETC., on
Sunday, shall be fined. In San Fran
cisco the city pays a band out of the
public treasury to play national airs,
and perhaps religious tunes, in the
park on Sunday This for every Sun
day in the year. The influence of
music is always good, and beneficial
to the working people. But in Con-
necticut-Ok, no, the Sunday law will
not permit it! No diversion of any
kind. Your law, if obeyed, doesn't
day. The greatest reason why the
law ShO11Id he modified fs beoa1Se