The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-05-29
SUNDAY BASEBALL

m~eritorious, and others as frivolous or
obsolete, and worthy Of no attention.
This condition of things is not n de-
sirable one, but it is one which exisrs,
and which must be recognized.
That state of affairs does not pre-
vail alone in connection with laws
passed by state or municipal gov
ernments. Each organization which
makes regulations for the guild
nce OF it own members has
something Of the same expert
enca The corporation retains in
it's bylaws provisions which it's
members forget to ignore, common
consent, instead of the written word
governing. Church regulations are
fun Of such forgotten provisions.
Our Methodist friends, for instance,
retain in their book of discipline pro-
htbdtions against certain forms of
an111sements which are regarded by a
very large proportion of the members
as entirely innocent, and which are
commonly practiced by many OF them,
and yet M effort is made to enforce
these provisions. They are simply re-
garded as unnecessary and obsolete.
This is the Interpretation, we are
convinced, which is placed on the law
against Sunday baseball-if that be in
Guided IN the list Of prohibited sports
by q very large percentage of our
In no other way is 1t possible
to explain the attitude Of thousands on
the subject. 1t will not do to classify
the advocates of the Sunday game as
hoodluns and wiIfuI v~iolators Of the
law. The facts will not bear out such
a charge. Among those men are to be
found in large numbers those who are
as reputable and orderly as any in the
community. Among them are to be
not merely successful business men,
but men who are energetic in the pro-
motion of worthy causes for the public
good. They are to be found in large
numbers, not In one city alone. but all
over the state. There are compare
lively few towns and villages in the
state in which the Sunday bail game
is not a feature during the summer
months, and a large proportion Of
those in attendance are Of the class
described.
1t seems evident that the movers
in the effort to suppress the Sunday
ball game In Grand Forks have failed
to give proper weight to these and
other indfsputable facts. They have
placed too much emphasis on what
they believed to be the letter of the
law, and too little on the evident
spirit Of the people, In the light of
which. to some degree at least, all
laws bearing on social customs must
be interpreted. OF their sincerity and
good intent no question need be raised.
They have undoubtedly acted in ac-
cordance with what they believed to be
a duty, and not a pleasant one, at that.
But we believe their action has been
a mistaken one. We believe that they
have mSsinterpreted public sentiment,
without which no law, and especially
no social law, car be made effective.
And they appear to have forgotten
that, even If successful in its legal as
poets, their action cannot prevent the
playing Of Sunday baseball before
Grand Forks spectators, for the game
can be played in East Grand Forks, as
is has been for some time, under the
full protection OF the state law OF
Minnesota.
The sponsors of the movement
against the Sunday game are mem
bers of the local ministerial alliance
who are undoubtedly devoted to the
public welfare. 1t may not be amiss
TO suggest that we have here a clue
for one reason at least for the church's
loss of influence with the masses of the
people, a condition which practically
/ all religions hodinS recop71iza and YoI
which they are trying to find a remedy
Are mol the really big. vital things be.
ing overlooked, and in their place ii
not emphasis put on distractions, and
lnegations and prohibitions which hari
back to former days and former condi.
tons Of society,"