Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-03
BILL GRANTING LOCAL OPTION
ON SUNDAY ADJUSTMENTS
5s IS PASSED.
GIVES PEOPLE OF TOWNS
PRIVILEGE OF DECIDING
Option Extended 70 All Towns Of 500 or
ovsr-Measurs Meets With Strenu-
Gus Opposition Elections Called o"
Petition Of 10 Per Gent Of Voters
Must Pass House to Become Law.
special TO rtmes-Republican.

Of the present Sunday laws Is PROVIDED
for in bill by Senator Rule, of Cerro
Gordo. county. and Senator Newberry'
Of Clayton county, which was intro
duced as q substitute to the Henigbaum
bill providing for Sunday. amuse-
ments. The Rule -Newberry bill passed
the senate late yesterday afternoon by
vote Of ~ to IS, with six senators alb
sent or not voting.
This provides that in any town or city
OF more than 500 inhabitants a special
election can be called on petition Of ~
per cent of the voters at which time
the question Of permitting Sunday
baseball or Sunday theaters may De
voted on. If the proposition carries the
town may enact ordinances to govern
such Sunday amusements.
A similar bill by Representative Crit
fin, Of Woodbury. county, was defeated
in the house earlier in the session.
Friends Of the bill which passed the
senate EXPRESS strong hopes that 1t
will now go thru the house.
The present agitation Of the called
blue law repeal comes about from the
fact that Attorney General HavHer has
declared he will enforce all laws on the
statute books when the legislature Is
over. This means he will enforce the
Sunday laws prohibiting Sunday
amusements.
Former Attorney General Cosson,
who made q record for his enlargement
OF law, refused to make strict appli-
cation of the Sunday laws in many IN
stances because he said "he could not
get anywhere" in an effort to enforce
them. The sentiment in many Of the
larger cities, he said, was against pro-
1hibiting certain amusements on Sun
day.
Tremendous Opposition.
The adoption Of the sunday law mod
ification in the senate vas not without
strenuous opposition on the part OF
Senator Ball, Of Jefferson county. SEN
ator Taylor, Of Buchanan, and Senator
Proudfoot. Of Warren
Senator Ball declared that righteous
ness exalteth nation" and that the
state would be going back in its moral
standards II it loosened the Sunday
laws and would experience the same
trouble as has been experienced in
France.
Ella Senator Taylor read from a circular
which he said was signed by officers
Of labor organizations in which these
union labor men declared that union
laborers did not want any change in the
spresent Sunday laws as had been
charged by those favoring such re-
peal Senator Proudfoot. OF Warren
county, declared that this law would
open up an opportunity for wide dissen-
sion in the towns and cities Of the state
over the question OF Sunday observance
when it provided that whenever 10 per
cent of the voters might call for spe-
cial election over the question one could
be held. He said such elections would
be numerous and local feeling would be
bitter.
Senator Caswell, who secured the en-
actment Of the provision making it pos
sible for towns Of 500 or more totyote
on these amusements, said there was
absolutely a dearth of things for the
young men of the smaller towns to do
on Sunday If they didn't own an auto
mobile. He therefore pleaded for a
chance for them to play ball over in the
pasture IL they wanted to with team
from some neighboring town.
Senator Rule spoke for the substitute
bill urging that some license be given
the cities to regulate their own amuse-
ments along this line.
The vote on this bill was as follows:
Ayes-Adams. Arney, Broxam. By
ington, Caswell; Chase, Evans. Evers-
meyer, Foster. Greene. Hale, Haskell.
Henigbaum, Kmball, LeCompte. Lytle,
Mitchell, Newberry, Barker, Price, Rule,
Schrup, Thompson. Van Alstine, White,
Whitmore, Wilson-Total n.
Nays-Ball, Balkema, Coburn, Ed
wards, Enger, Fellows. F1eck, Foskett,
Gibson, Helmer, Holdoegel. Kingland,
Indy, Protdfoot. Ratcliff, Smith,
Stephenson, Taylor-Total IS.