The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-07-24
COMMITTEE DENIES
COMPROMISE MADE
WITH DRUG STORES
DRUGGISTS SIGN AGREEMENT TO
REMAIN CLOSED DURING
CHURCH SERVICES.
MAl0R AGAIN CALLED ON TO
ENFORCE SUNDAY ORDINANCE
Committee Unchanged In Attitude To-
ward Observance Of sabbath-May-
or Says Amieable Agreement Would
Be Highly Pleasing to Him-inter-
probation Of the Law Left to City
Officials.


agreement had been reached between
the druggists and the committee from
the Sunday Schools and churches
whereby the committee would compro-
mise by having the drug stores close
during church services. In investigat-
ing this report The News interviewed
all the parties directly concerned, in
cluding the committee, the druggists
and the mayor.
Members of the committee emphat-
ically deny that they have agreed to
any compromise or that they have an
thorized anyone to make such an
agreement for them. They say, % the
contrary, that their position in the mat
ter is unchanged and that their atti-
tude toward the observance Of the Sab
bath and the enforcement Of Law il
the same as in the beginning. They
declare that they will not be a party
to any subterfuge or evasion of the
Law, but are determined to stand pat
on their original proposition to insist
upon the enforcement of the ordi-
nances forbidding the sale Of any gen.
eral merchandise on Sunday ~~s
The committee consisting of the
Rev. E. D. Solomon, John A. Mcleod,
M. P. L. Love and w. E. Bobo, called
on the Mayor today for the purpose of
calling his attention again to their
request for the enforcement of the
Sunday ordinance and to assure him
that the attitude of the committee is
unchanged from the first. X
Mr.. Love, spokesman for the COM
mittee said that it was not the inten-
tion of the committee to ask for hte
enforcement of the law againsts-9ra
druggists alone. He said twas the
desire of the committes>fo have the
law enforced, but that they would
leave the Interpretation of the law
'entllrrely"to the Mayor and would trust
that he would be properly advised by
the city's legal counsel. He said that
the committee stood for law enforce
ment in general and would support
the mayor in the enforcement of any
laws on the statute book.
Mr.. Love said that the committee
would not be a party to any compro-
mise and particularly not to the COM
promise suggested by the druggists
yesterday, which would close up the
stores during church services and al.
low them to violate the law during the
remainder Of the day. He said that II
the committee agreed to that sugges-
tion 1t would put them in the attitude
OF trying to legislate people into
church, which Is not the purpose OF
the committee in asking for the en-
forcement of the Sunday ordinance
and never was. He said that the peo-
pie who have been trying to defeat
the purpose OF the committee have
tried to make it appear that they
were trying to force people to go to
church and that the druggists by clos
ing during the church services would
make 1t appear that the committee
was trying to legislate people into
The mayor was very reluctant to,
promise that he would take any action.
He said he was trying to prevent .
split In the city. He said that Hat.
tiesburg is better than it ever was be-
fore and that it was better than any
other town In the state.
but you have sworn that you would
enforce the law" Mr.. Solomon told
him. s
Il wish that you people would let
me run my own business was tho
rejoiner.
This was the only incident Of fh6 !.
Continued on Pase Two.l