Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-05-13
BLUE LAWS OF OLD
Codes That Terrorized New Enc.
land In Colonial Days.
ENACTED BY THE PURITANS.

With Death, and II Was a Crime For
Husband and Wife or Mother and
Child to Kiss on the Sabbath Day.
Blue laws We're no joke. though often
an object of irony and derision. They
were drawn up by Puritan pioneers
a race of stern and infeXible men who
in the excess of their religious zeal and
enthusiasm adopted such sanctimonious
names as Stand Fast-on-Iligh Strinrcr.
Ki!l-Sin Smith, More Fruit Fowler,
Fight-the-G Good Fight Fowler.
1t may be well to say here that each
/ Of these names cited WAS actually Civ
en- to and borne by man. and names
of the same sort are to be found In the
records of New England. says Him
mans in his Blue Laws Of Connect
lieut."
These men went straight to the old
Mosaic law of Holy Writ for their
code In fact. each section of the capital
laws has its Bible text appended-a
grewsome combination Of sermon and
death warrant.
written Of New Haven. Connecticut
colony at the first more or less I'M
written. or at least imprinted. but sys
tematzed and printed by Governor
Eaton in 1866. They We're enveoped
IN blue cOlored paper, whence the popu-
lar and subsequently unpopular name.
The Plymouth and Massachusetts
D1, To-. ,1 bol 10 4.
culated to send Il chill through every
human vein. Even New York, Mary
land, Virginia and South Caroliua-in
fact. all the English colonial settle
ments in seventeenth century America
had laws, orders and resolutions Of
more or less pronounced indigo tint.
But the true blue laws or code was
that which terrorized early Connecti-
cut These. known as capital laws and
purporting to punish. according 10 the
penalties prescribed in the Old Tesla
ment. those offenses forbidden therein.
We're enacted in April, lG42. The texts
Of Scripture on which they are based
were added to each law. as dicta pro
bantia. showing the divine authority
by which they were defending. and are
singular perimeu> Of Jurisprudence.
For instance witchcraft is one of the
first otfcnSos taken up II is enacted
that If a man or woman be a witch
or hath consulted with a familiar spirit
they shall! he put 10 death" And IF
any man steal a man or mankind or
selleth him or he be found in his hand
he shall be put to deatL-"
Yet the good colouists made slaves
Of the pequot Indians as the regulation
punishment for breaking these same
blue laws.
The Puritan legislators. having dis
posed of the ordinary everyday crimes
went on in due course to enact the
more minute laws, covering every con
ceivable misdemeanor, from sneezins
in church to crossing a stream other
wise than by the licensed ferry.
1t reminds one Of De Quinceys ironi-
cal observations 10 the effect that the
habit of murder if persisted in may
lead insensibly to procrastination and
Sabbath breaking
The following examples. Transcribed
literally from the best authorities OF
American colonial history. relate most.
ly TO the heinous crime OF sabbath
brea king:
NO one shall run on the Sabbath day
or walk in his garden or elsewhere ex-
cept reverently to and from meeting
NO one shall travel, cook yictuai>.
make beds. sweep house. cut hair or
shave on the Sabbath day.
NO woman shall Kiss her child On
the Sabbath or fasting day.
The sabbath shall begin st sunset
on Saturday.
If any man shall kiss his wife or
wife kiss her husband on the Lords
day the party in fault shall be pun
ished at the discretion Of the court Of
magistrates.
CTradition says a gentleman Of New
Haven after an absence Of some
months reached home on the Sabbath
and. meeting his wife az his door.
kissed her with an appetite and for his
temerity in violating this law the next
day was arraigned before the court
and fined for So palpable q breach Of
the law on the Lords dayJ
NO one shall read common prayer.
keep Christmas or saints days. make
minced pies dance. play cards or play
on any instrument Of music except the
drum, trumpet and jewSha rp."
1t Is said 10y Peters in his History
OF Connecticut" that these laws were
the laws made by the people of New
Haven previous 10 their incorporation
with Saybruok and Hartford colonies
and. as he says. were very properly
termed blue iawS-i e. bloody laws.
for" says he. they were all sancti-