The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-14
Rev. John G. Murray Op- posed Bill Introduced by Protestant Clergy Which Would legalize Sports or Entertainments of Non Commercial Nature.
Opposes Local Option Feat ure of Proposed Legisla- tion, and Argues for Con tinuance of Present Laws of State. Regulating JOb- servance of Sunday.
Especial to The Farmer. )

posing, in principle, the proposition of fered by the Protestant clergy of the state to legalize Sunday sports or amusements which are not commer- cial propositions, Rev. John G. Mur- ray, chancellor of the Catholic diocese | of Hartford, made a strong attack up- l on the motion picture as an instltu- ton, at a largely attended hearing be- fore the judiciary committee yester- day.
 Father Murray appeared at the hearing on several so-called 'lib- eral Sunday bills, yesterday, at the request of Rev. John J. Milan, bishop of the diocese. In discussing the whole problem of Sunday amuse-
 ments, the well known priest eloquent ly assailed several phases of the mo-
 tion picture, and incidentally made a strong protest against any law that would put the regulation of Sunday amusements within the scope of local option.
 The Judiciary committee received at the outset in it's hearing on many bills affecting the observance of Sunday a substitute measure from the Protest ant clergy of the state which would
 make legal the Sunday ;amusements of
 non-commercial nature which it was
 argued are, now widely practiced
 throughout the state.
 Many arguments were advanced to
 support the various measures. Some
 of the measures would legalize paid sports. Such as Sunday baseball.
 Others would legalize Sunday motion
 picture shows for which admission is charged. Bills which had a com
 mercial flavor were favored by many
 spokesmen. Some of the advocates of
 the liberal Sunday bills were plainly
 paid spokesmen of the amusement in-
 terests. Others appeared to be speak
 ing from an honest conviction that the
 measures were essentially good.
 The familiar arguments of the open
 and shut Sunday factions were re-
 hearsed for several hours. Some of
 the speakers who were inclined to be
 bitter in their criticism of the clergy
 men, accused them of being prompted
 by selfish interests. This brought
 warm replies purporting to show that
 the clergy were interested in the mea-
 sures not so much as a religious as an
 economic proposition.
 Father Murray's attack on the mo-
 tion pictures, he said, were based up
 on his personal experience. He re-
 marked in passing that he had been call led upon by the Mayor of Hart ford to pass in judgment upon certain films that had been criticized. He said he believed no force in the
 common wealth was quite so destruc-
 tive in it's field as the motion picture.
 He dwelt upon four phases of it's eff fleets: physical, mental, moral and do- mestic.
 The physical effects he argued were detrimental. in that the theatres, poor ly ventilated, had deterrent effect on the public health. They stimulated the mental activities of the youthful
 patrons, he argued, so that the teach CT no longer is able to find reserve mental force among pupils in the schools.
 As to the force of the motion pic ture against public morals, he point ed out the fact that in Hartford-and he presumed elsewhere-any number of respectable persons who visit these
 places have been insulted, owing to
 the darkness of the theatres. Then, too, he spoke of the nature of cer- tain of the film subjects as force for evil.
 The motion picture, he said. tended to destroy the social life of the community, taking children from the influence of their parents; taking wives from their husbands-often leaving the workingman to find on his homecoming in the evening that there is no superior his wife is at the movies. Citing the experiences of his own in- spections of certain films, he asserted that the movie patron must relapse into a blunted mental and moral state, through long association with films of a low standard of morality.
 Tn opposition to the local option phase of the agitation, he pointed out the perils of girls taken from towns where Sunday evening shows are not permitted, into towns where such exhibitions are tolerated. He said he had personal knowledge of this phase of the working of local option, of the state.
 Father Murray also spoke of the i "drinking club'' legislation of two years ago. Evils that have grown out of this legislation, he said, were not expected, for the reason that the county commissioners under the ex- isting law were expected to exercise their judgment He added that he hoped to be able to appear, soon, in
 behalf of bill, on which hearing is yet to be assigned, which would
 prohibit the licensing of any club
 which does not serve meals thrice day every day in the year.
 Father Murray advocated, in the in terests of the general welfare of the commonwealth, directly or indirectly that the committee should recommend no legislation that tend to lessen the opportunity of the individual, either as an individual or member Of so- ciety, to worship on Sunday. He based his argument upon the spirit of the Connecticut law.
 Father Murray, further discuss ing local option pointed out that us- age and custom govern the courts in their interpretation of the laws, and that the courts may be depended up- on to interpret the laws as they now are written in conformity with the