Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-10-14
PROSECUTOR LOCKE
WRITES STATEMENT
ON SUNDAY MATTER

ment from Prosecuting Attorney
Locke concerning the Sunday motion
picture matter.
The Banner has already stated it's
attitude in this matter and IL has
nothing to add to it's former statement
nor has it anything to subtract.
The question is now to be settled
between the officers OF the law and
the alleged offenders.
The Banner trusts that a full and
fair hearing will be had and that full
Justice will be obtained.
Mr.. Locke's statement follows:
To the Editor of the Belding Banner:
Through the columns of your paper
L desire to state to the citizens OF
Belding and lonia County what the
rights OF the public under the law
relative 10 Sunday amusements are.
and what the duties of the officers of
the city of Belding and county Of Ionia
are in the premises.
We have certain laws relative to the
observance of the Sabbath also laws
prohibiting the unlawful assemblies
of people 10 the number Of thirty or
more. We also have statutes requir-
ing officers 10 enforce the laws and
fixing the penalty for the non-enforce-
ment.
1t is just as much the duty Of the
public officers to enforce the law re-
lative TO the observance of the Sab
bath as any other law.
The successful enforcement Of the
Sunday laws, as well as other laws,
depends largely upon the public senti-
ment of the community Therefore
during the administration Of different
prosecuting attorneys. and particular
ly that of Mr.. Sheldon, it was the
policy of the sheriff's office and tthe
prosecuting attorneys Office to enforce
the Sunday law whenever and where
ever the municipal authorities decided
to act with the county officers in the
enforcement of the same.
Since l have been prosecuting at
torney / have repeatedly stated that
whenever the common councils or
mayors of the different villages and
cities Of our county ask the aid of
the sheriff and myself in the enforce
ment of the Sunday Laws we would
willingly assist
The sheriff and the prosecuting at
torney have been asked TO suppress
the running Of Sunday theaters in the
City of Belding. We have assured
the Mayor of BeIding OF our support.
! therefore call the peoples at
tention to the following provisions Of
law SO that the people may under
stand that these laws can be enforced
and that il is made the duty of the
sheriff and prosecuting attorney 10 see
that the laws are enforced.
Section 5261 New Howelrs Statutes,
reads as follows:
mo person shall keep open his shop,
warehouse, or Workhouse, or shall do
any manner of labor, business, or
work, or to be present at any dancing
or at any public diversion, show, or
entertainment. or take part in any
sport. game. or play on the first day
of the week. The foregoing provi-
sions shall not apply TO works OF
necessity and charity nor to the
making of mutual promises of mar
riage, nor TO the solemnization Of mar
riages And every person so offending
shall be punished by fine not exceed
ing ten dollars for each offense."
The foregoing statute makes the
conduct Of any show or entertainment
OF diversion, or the taking part in
any sport or game on Sunday a viola
tion of the law, and an unlawful act
on the part Of any one participating.
1t can be enforced by "A suit to recover
a penalty not exceeding ten dollars
for each offense. suit to recover
a penalty would he one way of en-
forcing suit.
We have another statute, however,
Section 14T50 New Howells Statutes.
eading as follows:
IF any persons. TO the number OF
twelve or more, being armed with
clubs, or other dangerous weapons.
Of if any persons, to the number OF
thirty or more, whether armed or
not. shall be unlGwfully, riotously, or
assembled in any city,
township or village, it shall be the
duty Of the mayor and each OF the
alderman of such city, the supervisor
of such oUnship. the president and
each of the trustees or members or
the common council Of such village.
ana Of every Justice of the peace, ;iv-
ing in such city township or village,
and also Of the sheriff of the county
and his deputies. To go among ne
nersons so assembled. or as near to
Them as may he with safety, and IN
the name Of the people Of this state,
to command all the persons SO as
scmbled Immediately and peaceably
to dfsperse."
Under the statute just above quoted
the conducting of q theatre or show
where thirty or more people arc pre-
sent constitutes an unlawful assem-
blage II done on the Sabbath, and il is
the duty Of the sheriff and his depu-
ties as we'll as that of the mayor and
the aldermen OF the city, TO go among
the people SO assembled and command
them TO peaceably disperse.
The next section OF the Statute pro-
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