Evening star., 1914-05-17
FIGHT TO REPEAL
CITY BLUE LAWS
Arrest of Captain for Exhibit
ing Ship on Sunday Arouses
Baltimore.
MAY NOW RESULT IN
AMATEUR BALL PLAYING
Council Reported Favorable to Pass
ing 0rdinance-Political Play
~. Seen in Opposition.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
BALTIMORE. Md. May is. There
is a big fight on in the city to
repeal the ancient blue laws. and at this
writing the chances appear to be excellent
for the passage of the ordinance to per-
NIT the playing of amateur base ball on
the city lots on Sundays. The fight for
the repeal of the blue laws was precip-
lated by the arrest of the captain of the
old British convict ship Success last Sun
day on the charge of working on Sunday
by keeping his ship open for inspection
on the Sabbath. The arrest of the cap
tain was ordered by Police Commissioner
Niles and it aroused a storm Of protest
from several thousand persons at the
wharf, a large number of whom had
come here from Washington and Annap-
oils to visit the historic vessel. When the
grand jury took UP the case this week
that body dismissed the charge and the
police authorities announced that the
boat would be unmolested next Sunday.
This action on the part of the grand
jury was followed by the Introduction
into the city council of an ordinance per-
mitting amateur base ball on Sunday.
Mayor Preston then announced that he
was against the ordinance and intimated
that he would use the veto power should
IL a
in the council indicated that the ordi-
nance had good chance of passing over
the veto should the mayor exercise his
prerogative. and some of the champions
of the measure are freely stating that
they will use every effort to pass the ordi-
nance over the mayors veto.
Fight to Bitter End.
Councilman Hitler. the father of the
ordinance. said today that he would
wage war to the knife" against those
who are opposing the ordinance. L am
in the fight to the bitter end and be-
cause the mayor has seen fit to express
his opposition to my ordinance it does not
change my opinions in the slightest de-
gree. We can pass the ordinance in the
city council and it is my business now to
see that it does pass.
II believe the people Of Baltimore are
for the base ball ordinance and ! am for
it first, last and all the time. said Coun-
Gilman Durm. who comes from East Bal
timore. II have visited several sections
of the city and there appears to be an
almost unanimous sentiment for the
measure. Only certain clique. a very
small minority, oppose it and they give
the impression that they represent big
Baltimore. AS result Of the attitude
of influential members of the council 1t
is stated that the mayor has decided
to keep hands off in the fight, and Will
not use his influence with his friends In
the making end of the government.
The mayors declaration in favor of a
blue law Sunday is taken to Indicate that
he is in the field for a second term and
the move is regarded as a shrewd one. 1t
is recalled that when Preston took Office
in 1911 he announced that his admintstra-
ton would be "a good old-time demo-
cratic administration and this an
nouncement was greeted with cheers by
the "b'hoys 1t is said that the mayor
is already laying plans to land the noml-
nation. and that four of his close politi-
cal friends are now pulling the wires on
an agreed plan. This plan is said to In
clude the trotting out of number OF
men as good mayoralty timber" and to
troll them along without giving any of
them a lead Then with good many
ayowed candidates in the field, lively
scrimmage for the support of the organi-
zation is anticipated.
preston's Mavoraltv Plan