The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-27
Blue Laws no Joke
DEGREES Of the Puritan Pioneers
Were Hard to Obey.
baltimore SUM-

NDd!tiInOFo Suu.D
Blue laws weer no joke, though
often an object Of irony n derision.
They were drawn up by Puritan pio-
neers-a race of stern and inflexible
men who in excess of their religious
zeal andh enthusiasm adopted sue
sanctinlonious M as Stand-Fast-
on-High Stringer, kil1-Sin Smith,
More Fruit Fowler. Ftght-the-Good-
Fight Fowler.
These men went straight to the old
Mosaic law of Holy Writ for their
code. In fact, each section of the
capital laws has it's bible text append
ed-a grewsome combination of SER
NOR and death warrant.
The original blue laws were those
written Of the New Haven (Conn.)
colony. at the first nor or less un-
written or, at least, imprinted but
systemati2ed and printed by Cover
nor Eaton in 1856. They were envel.
oped in hlue-colored paper. whence
the popular and subsequently, unpop-
ular name. The Plymouth and Mas
s~achusetts colonies also had their blue
laws calculated to send a chill
through every human vein. Even
New York. Maryland. Virginia and
South Carolina-in fact. ali the Eng
fish colonial settlements in seven
te~enth-century America-bad laws,
orders and resolutions Of more or less
pronounced indigo tint. But the true
blue laws OF code was that which
terrorized early Connecticut. Those
known as capital laws and purporting
to punish. according to the penalties
prescribed in the Old Testament,
those ~offenses forbidden therein. were
enacted in April. 1912. The texts of
Scripture on which they were based
U,pra 0daArl ~ oon1 lon, = -, a:-A1 80
bantia. showing the divine authority
by which they were defended, and
are singular specimens of iurispru-
dence.
For instance. witchcraft is one Of
the ofenses taken up. 1t is enacted
thai IF a man or woman be a witch,
or hath consulted with a familiar
spirit. they shall be put to DEATH
And IF n man steal a man or man.
kind or seileth him. or he be found
IN his hand. he shall be put to
death"
Yet the good colonists made slave.
OF the Pequot Indians, as the regula.
ton punishment for breaking the
same blue laws.
The Puritan legislators. having
disposed Of the ordinary. everyday
crimes. went on in due course to N
act the more minute laws covering
every concelfaole mlsdeneanor, from
%sneezing In church to crossing a
stream otherwise than by the licensed
ferry.
1t reminds one of DR.. Quincy.
ironical observations to the effect tina
the habit Of murder. If persisted in
may lead insensibly to procrastination
and Sabbath breaking.
The following examples. TRANSCRIPT.
ed literally from the best authorities
on American colonial history, relate
mostly to the heinous crime of Sab.
bath breaking.
NO one shall run on the Sabbath
day. or walk in his garden or else.
where. except reverently to and from
meeting.
NO n shall travel, cook victuals
make beds. sweep house. cut hair OF
shave on the Sabbath day.
NO woman shall kiss her child on
the Sabbath or fasting day.
1.-THE Sabbath shall begin at sun.
set Of Saturday.
III any man shall kis 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"