The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-11-11
LOCAL STORE KEEPERS READY
Few Places Outside Of the Saloons Are
Opened on Sunday and Most of the
Dealers in .'Dry'' Goods Would
Welcome General Orders to Close.


about the district attorneys office IN
the last few days looking into the
question of Sunday closing. With
Milwaukee all wrought up over the
new law providing for the closing of
certain lines of business the fever has
spread to Kenosha. Just to set these
people right it can be said that the
provisions of the new law passed by
the last session Of the legislature re-
1ating particularly to delicatessen
stores does not apply to Kenosha. The
law strictly provides that it be ap-
plicable TO cities of the first class.
Milwaukee is the only city of the first
class in Wisconsin and it is the only
city directly effected by the Jaw.
However, there is an old HPlue
Law on the statute book relating to
Sunday closing which might be made to
apply to Kenosha stores if the people
of the city desire to have them closed.
There are very few stores in Kenosha
opening on Sunday and nearly all of
these are stores that deal in necessi-
ties. A few of the meat markets open
by appointment to take care of peo-
pie who forgot to order their Sunday
meat and deliveries are made on Sun
day morning by number of the meat
markets, but for the most part the
Kenosha stores close on Saturday night
and remain closed until Monday morn
ing. Only a short time on Sunday is
utilized by many Of the stores which
sell necessities. The drug stores of
the city maintain practically the same
hours on Sunday as they do on other
days in the week.
Of course all saloons in the city and
in the county SO far as that is concern
ed keep open during the hours named
in the city regulations on Sunday. If
there is any special desire to force
Sunday closing in Kenosha it can be
done by any one who seeks to make a
complaint under the state law.
The next step would be to secure a
jury which would convict offenders.
This has been found little difficult in
the past and for the most part prose
cutions for opening on Sunday have
failed in Kenosha on account of the
fact that juries have decided after
hearing the evidence that the defen-
dants did not do anything more than
lot Of other men did and for this
reason the jury has refused to bring a
finding Of "guilty."
It is said that some of the saloon
men of the city recognizing the trend
of public opinion would welcome a
movement to close the saloons in Ke-
nosha but for the most part the own
ers Of the saloons insist that if the
Sunday business was taken away from
them they would be forced to 60 out
of business. This is particularly true
of some of the places on the outlying
limits of the city. 1t is admitted that
these places get most of their support
on Saturday night and Sundays.
The mayor in Kenosha has no power
to revoke saloon licenses, but he could
demand that any place be closed for a
violation of the law and submit the
facts of the violation to the common
council with request for revoca
tion of the license. Should the mayor
take this step it is pretty certain that
the council would accede to his
demand and revoke the license in
| question. In recent years no mayor OF
| the city has assumed this duty OF
watching the saloons and demanding
revocations and this matter has been
left in the hands of the license com.
mittee of the council. This commit
tee has looked into public sentiment
pretty closely and has held that pub,
lie sentiment in the city is not in favor
of the closing of saloons on Sunday.
It is admitted that should there be
any governing sentiment found in Ke-
nosha in favor of closing up the stores
and the saloons in Kenosha that il
would not be difficult to find law I'm.
der which this end could be attained