The sun., 1919-03-06
SUNDAY BASEBALL
OPPOSITION WEAK
Clergy Plays Biggest Part
in Attack on Malone
Walker Bill.
ny GEORGE II. UNDERWOOD.
Special Despdtch to TIE suS.

Iesentatives of several labor unions Of
fered convincing arguments In favor OF
the Walker Malone bill permitting Sun
day baseball in New York at the hear
ing before the Senate and Assembly Codes
committees here to-day, It remained for
two women and three heroes of the
Eleventh Engineers. who made the IA
nous stand at Cambria. to furnish the
arguments which the majority of the
politicians here say will induce the COM
mittees to report favorably on the bills.
The two women were Mrs. May
Gooderson of Brooklyn. a prominent well
fare worker, and Mrs Ella O'Gorman
stanton. chairman of the women's Ma
'ional Democratic League. The three
Eleventh Engineers were Major C. r.
Hulsart. u. s. o.; Major George II. Gif-
ford and Sergeant G.. F. Scudder. who
left leg at Cambria that memorable
day the little band OF American ensi-
reers dropped their tools and pitched in
with the British TO stop the German ad-
vance.
Mrs Gooderson offered convincing re-
huttal to the religious scruples brought
up by those who opposed the bill. most
OF whom we're ministers or members OF
religious societies. Mrs. Stanton. mother
Of eleven children. with three of six sons
in service, ably seconded Mrs. Gooder-
son. It was apparent that the two moth
eriy and Intelligent women were speak
ing from their hearts and urging what
they thought best for the general good.
Major Hulsart Spokesman.
Major Hulsart, who acted as spokes-
man for his brother engineers, empha-
sized to the legislators the changes
wrought In thought and action by the
world war. He told them there was not
an iota Of doubt that the returning mil
lions Of soldiers would have no space in
their hearts for any one narrow minded
enough to oppose 80 undoubtedly bene-
fetal and healthful an open air sport on
the one day that the great majority Of
Americans most can find time for II.
Or. Henry Ward. who represented
the Federation Of Churches Of Bufralo,
angrily declared that those sponsor
ing the measure ARE the Bolsheviki OF
America and are out to undermine the
very foundations OF American institu-
tons" The fervid utterance Of the
Buffalo clergyman only caused Judge
Collins to declare in rebuttal that "he
did not represent the Bolshevtki, but the
great mass Of American people"
Speakers in opposition 10 the measures
included the Rev. w. J. Mcmillan Of New
York. the Rev. William F. Crafts of
Washington. superintendent of the In
ternatiosal Reform Bureau; Mrs Charles
NJ. Gilbert OF New York, Mrs. William
McSair OF New York and Mrs Ella A.
Boole, president OF the State W. c. T. U.
the Rev, Robert Wilson Of New York and
the Rev. f. ]. Jameson OF Albany. rep
resenting the State Sunday School AS
ISOLATION. '-Hcn
Put volunteer organist in your loft, "
said Justice Collins, and provide an un-
paid choir to sing sweet hymns and you II
IND fewer persons In your churches
THAN hapa M = H1,a y il ,,,r .
TO Your charge that this bill is designed
TO open the way for professional money
making on the Sabbath
Mrs. Gooderson's Strong Plea.
Summed up the argument offered by
those opposing the bill was that II vio-
lated the Christian sabbath and would
not work for the beneht OF the great
mass OF people, but rather for those
professionally interested in baseball.
To the declaration of one OF the clergy
men that Sunday was a day 20 worship
the Maker Mrs. Gooderson declared
that she thought It very strange OF the
clergymen to intimate that God was wor-
shipped on but one day OF the week
Judge Collins pleaded for the repeal
II the statute passed in the old puri-
tanical days, and both he and Moran
urged the upstate legislators to re-
member the difference In conditions be-
tween a great, crowded city like New
York and the open country and at least
enable the citizens of a metropolis 10
say what they themselves wanted
Some OF the opposition speakers We
IN favor of allowing amateur baseball
on sunday, but opposed professional
baseball In rebuttal William Z. Fitz-
simmons, who represents several rail-
road brotherhoods, offered some peril
rent suggestions to the ministers. He
declared that such a suggestion was
class legislation and that IL amateu,
baseball morally was right so was pro-
fessional.
Evers Answers Clergy.
Johnny Evers, former big Lacquer who
lately returned from knights OF Colum
bus services cross seas resented some
OF the opinions advanced by the clergy
men that professional baseball player,
were a degraded lot.
81 have played Sunday baseball fo
seventeen years. declared Evers. "anC
IL has not injured me morally or in an!
ether way, I am proud of my associa
ton with the good fellows with whom
have played Sunday baseball and con
slider them fully as good Christians anC
upright American citizens as the rev
erend gentlemen who want TO look dowr
on us from lofty heights"
Evers said he had just got back from
France, and remarked thst incidental,
lie had taken part in four Sunday gamei
n Paris promoted by the American Y
NJ. c. A. They do not consider tina
wrong over there" declared Johnny
and the viewpoint o. the boys will re
main unchanged when they get back"
Lieut.. Muir an Albany man who re
Gently returned from France after tw,
years service with the Black Watch
said the ministers must wake up, TO
they were driving the men away from
the churches. You Will have TO broader
YOUR viewpoint or lose your congrega
TONS" declared Muir. Changed cond!
tons make It more imperative than eve
that an opportunity be created for opel
air physical relaxation on the Sabbath
The minority cannot rule. II the Legis
Iature OF this State declares against Sun
day baseball, then you might as wei
take the Statue Of Liberty down an
dump II In New York hArbor.'
II Manager McGraw OF the New Yor
Giants had been at the hearing he woul
nave learned how TO cop the pennan
every year with disgusting regularity
The secret was told by minister. IN
Rev. Robert Watson, president OF III
Presbyterian Ministers Association Q
New York. who said:
IF McGraw would let his ball player
lake Sundays off. permitting them I
disbsnd freely and get baseball out c
their minds he would win every yea