Evening journal., 1918-08-21
SCORES
SUNDAY BALL
The Rev. E. H. Dashiel Tells
Police Commission Law
Should Be Enforced
CAN'T DEFEND ON
PATRIOTIC GROUND

mingtOn NJ. Y. Conference Claimants
Endowment Commission condemn sun
day ball playing. Mr.. Dashiell was ac-
companled before the commission by
number OF women representing tho w.
c. T. L. aud number OF clergymen.
The commissioners took no action as
Sunday baseball cases are now pending
in the courts. Mr.. Dashiell In his ad-
dress said:
I'VE are here 70 speak for the or
ganized moral sentiment OF our city
as represented by the ministerial body
and the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union-in opposition TO baseball
on the Sabbath day. And we shan
base what we have 10 say not on what
might be regarded as sentiment, Dut
wholly upon the plain letter OF the
law. The Revised Code OF Deaware.
(i9i5) chapter i53, sec. 4. says:
III any number OF persons shall as
semble TO game, play or dance on the
Sabbath day, and shall engage or as
slst In such game, play or dance, every
such person shall be fined four dollars.
and on failure 10 pay such tlne and
cost shall be imprisoned as aforesaid.
ave are law-abding. We repre-
sent law-abldlng citizens. And we stand
upon the law. II there were no law
covering this matter we would not be
here. We would go TO the people and
legislature, where laws are made. No
minister, or oth1' representative OF
moral sentiment, appears here ASKING
you gentlemen 10 close the saloons OF
the city. There Is no law enabling you
10 do that. But when there Is aw, duly
enacted and written In the Code OF the
state, we feel we have a right TO appear
here in the interest OF It's enforce
ment
This necessity, however. should new
er be forced upon us. There should
be no such scenes as this. II goes
without saying that. where law exists,
Il should be enforced by the officer
charged by the people with that re-
spOnsibility, without the necessity OF
influence.
Various reasons are alleged as TO
why this particular law is not enforc-
ed:
Il. Il IS an old law OF a hundred
years standing, having been transferred
to the present code from the code OF
1852.
"This TO the unthinking, is appsr-
emily sufficient ground FOR deriding
and fouting the law. But the fact OF
its age Is nothing against u, rather the
reverse. For a hundred years, In spite
Of continuous adverse agitation, our
LEGISLATORS have refused 10 disturb u.
This IS one OF the strongest possible
arguments that the law makers OF each
generation have recognized It's neces-
sity 10 the order and perpetuity or the
State. Their wisdom Is supported WITH
out stint By the evidence OF history:
p That the insignifcance OF the
penalty shows the unimpOrtance win
which the law was regarded by those
who made II.
"Not at all. -Four dollars hun
dred years ago meant as much as
twenty-five today. But there are va
rious kinds and degrees OF penalty
visited upon law-breakers. When this
law wss made there was more respect
for law than there seems TO be today.
The fact that a man. had been adiudged
ugilty OF breaking the la7v ostracised
him. Society frOwned on him. And
that acted as a deterrent.
But whatever may be alleged
AGAINST this law, Il is still law. This,
we understand, Is admitted by you
gentlemen and everybody else in
volved. Even the newspapers in bold
hesdllnes-at the beginning OF this sit
lation-stated that Sunday base
ball was contrary to Delaware law, but
the men having the matter In hand de-
clared that they were nevertheless go
ing 10 put 1t through. Such attitude
is clearly both Illegal and defiant. yet
some Of the men assuming 1t are other
wise Of large calibre.
I'VE are confronted by an eXtraor-
binary situation and plea: Our coun-
try IS at war and Sunday baseball Is
a necessity as recreation for the ship
builders and TO keep them away from
whisky.
LET us say nothing Of the strange
inconsistency Of the leaders OF our
great ship building program, which all
OF US are doing out utmost TO help
rushing to Congress recently TO oppose
national prohibitlon-and on the
ground too, that TO take whisky from
the men would retard shipbuilding. Let
us get down to fundamentals:
"i. Organized society is impossible
without law.
- The State recognizes a proper
enforcement OF law. the necessity
among the people OF a wholesome
conscience toward God. Were this not
true It woud not be required that a
witness in court place his hand on the
Bible, and solemnly swear TO tell the
truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth. The greatest jurists
Of the country today are lamenting the
fading OF the sanctlty OF It's oath In
/ the public conscience. Conscience TO-
ward God Is indispensable TO the life oi
/ the State.
%. Therefore-and this Is logicai
and scapable-nothing is patriotic
that breaks down the conscience OF
people.
when you break down the con
! science Of a people you destroy theiI
respect for authority. When respect
/ for divine authority goes, respect fol
human authority soon follows. Thus
are undermined the very foundation:
Of government.
"This is the very thing that has pre-
cipltsted the awful world conflict now
raging. The German rulers, from
Frederick. the Great, down have
taught their people TO disregard th'
sanctity Of law, except as that law
originated in the will Of their SOW
ereign. The conscience Of the natior
has been Systematically destroyed anC
today they are turning themselves
loose upon civilization 10 I'LL the worlC
with the horror Of theh diabillsm
Are we to meet lawlessness by teach
ing our people a lesser regard for th'
sanctions of law? II Is the great prin
| 80. g., u, .s-a r1eod