Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-30
BLUE LAWS NO JOKE.
DEGREES of the Puritan Pioneers Were
Hard to Obey.


Hard to Obey.
Blue laws were no joke. though Of
ten an object of irony and derision.
They were drawn up by Puritan pion-
eers-a race of stern and inflexible
men who in excess Of their religious
zeal and enthusiasm adopted such
sanctimonious names as Stand-Fast-
on-High Stringer, Kill-Sin Smith, More
Fruit Fowler, Fight-the-G Fight
Fowler.
These men went straight to the old
Mosaic law of Holy Writ for their
code. In fact, each section Of the cap
ital laws has its Bible text appended
a grewsome combination Of sermon
and death warrant.
The original blue laws were those
written of the New Haven, (Conn.)
colony, at the first more or less unwrit-
ten or, at least imprinted, but sys-
tematized and printed by Governor
Eaton in 1856. They were enveloped
in blue-colored paper, whence the
popular and subsequently unpopular
name. The Plymouth and Massachu-
setts colonies also had their blue laws
calculated to send a chill through ev-
cry human vein. Even New York,
Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina
in fact. all the English colonial set
Elements in seventeenth-century Amer
ica-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. Those known as capital laws and
purporting to punish, according to the
penalties prescribed in the Old Testa-
were enacted in April, 1912. The texts
Of Scripture on which they were based
were added to each law, as dicta pro-
bantia, showing the divine authority
by which they were defended, and are
singular specimens of Jurisprudence.
For instance, witchcraft Is one Of
the offenses taken up. 1t is enacted
that IF a man or woman be a witch,
or hath consulted with familiar spir-
it, they shall be put to 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 DEATH"
Yet the good colonists made slaves
of the Pequot Indians, as the regula-
tion punishment for breaking the 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
conceivable misdemeanor, from sneez-
ing in church to crossing a stream
otherwise than by the licensed ferry.
1t reminds one Of DR.. Quincy's IRON
ical observations to the effect that the
habit Of murder, IL persisted in. may
lead insensibly to procrastination and
Sabbath breaking.
The following examples, Transcribed
literally from the best authorities on
American Colonial history, relate most
ily to the heinous crimes of Sabbath
breaking.
mo one shall run on the Sabbath
day, or walk in his garden or else
where, except reverently to and from
meeting.
No one shall travel, cook victuals,
make beds, sweep house, cut hair or
shave on the Sabbath day.
mo woman shall kiss her child on
the Sabbath or fasting day.
1.-The Sabbath shall begin at 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 baltimore Sun.