Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-17
DULL SUNDAY PROSPECT
THROUGH VIRGINIA STATE
New Custer Law Prohibits Any
Work Except That Of Neces-
sity or Charity.

Virginia's new custer law. adopted at
the last session of the state legislature,
goes into effect tomorrow, and a dull
Sunday is anticipated throughout the
length and breadth Of the Old Do
minion.
The new law provides that all stores
and places of business shall remain
closed during the entire day, with the
exception of drug stores. which may
be opened during certain hours OF the
day.A However, even the drug stores.
under the law, are not permitted to sell
anything but medicines, or to fill pre-
scriptions calling for medicines.
Sale of newspapers and magazines.
cigars. cigarettes and tobacco, soft
drinks, candy and the like Is forbidden
by the new law, which also prohibits
the sale of bread. etc; groceries, or other
goods not held to be actual and impera-
tive necessities. Exception Is made OF
milk and cream, while Richmond deal
ers, according to newspaper reports,
are jubilant because they believe they
have found a section of the new law
which permits the sale of ice cream on
Sundays, ice cream being classed among
the necessities enumerated in the law.
Repeats Old Sunday Laws.
The new law repeats the old Vir-
ginia Sunday laws, which simply pro-
hibited the performance of any other
than works of necessity or charity on
Sunday and provided small penalties
for violation of the law.
The feature of the new law that is
most disquieting to officials, however.
is the section which provides for the
BUSTING from Office of any official who
declines or refuses to enforce the new
Sunday laws or who consents to, ig-
nores or permits any violation of the
law, or of any other law on the statute
books of Virginia. Such proceedings,
under the terms of the new law, may
be instituted by any citizen of the
county in which violations of the new
law occur.
Apparently the law officers in every
county in Virginia have placed their
own Interpretation on the new law. as
newspapers from the various cities and
towns throughout the state indicate
that widely varying constructions or
the statute have been announced from
such sources.
One section of the law which has ere
ated much confusion provides that
nothing in the new statute is to be
construed to apply to persons VINO op-
serve another day than Sunday as their
SdDDdtn. In SOIHc places tiio mas pcSh
construed to mean that Seventh day
Adventists, Jews and a few others
might keep their places of business
open as usual Sunday, provided they
closed Saturday.
Rigid Enforcement Planned.
Persons who object to the application
of what they call ancient and outworn
Sunday laws as regards the selling of
newspapers. cigars, candy, etc, have
announced their intention to seek the
absolutely rigid enforcement of the
new law in every respect. Some of
these have stated they would endeavor
to prevent the running of street cars or
the operation of gas or electric light
and power works on Sunday. In Rich
mond, Petersburg, Norfolk and one or
two other cities persons who will be
kept from selling prescribed articles
tomorrow have declared that they
would ask for warrants for the arrest
of singers and musicians in the
churches who receive pay for their
services Sundays, taking the stand
that the services of paid soloists, or
ganists or orchestras in Sunday church
services are no more necessary to the
comfort and wellbeing of the wor-
shippers than are cigars, Sunday news
papers and the like to others.