The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
Blue Laws.

The notion still fingers that the code
OF blue laws so often referred 10
was reality and not forgery. Pub
llshed and republlshed, these i'm
aginary laws were caricatures of
fact. They have the same value for
truth as Diedrlch Knickerbocker's
history, which has cast a humor-
Gus but not luminous glow over the
early scenes In the Empire State.
WASHINGTON IRVING himself, in the
preface to the last edition Of this
funny book, wondered at the success
OF his merry skit; for millions for two
generations have chuckled over this
successful caricature.
Doubtless also that very active
Tory propaganda, the Rev. SAMUEL
PETERS of Connecticut (1735-1S26),
who penned the forty-five fictitious
"Blue-Laws of Connecticut" had many
n hearty laugh over his literary ven-
ture, which proved to be a best
seller. When he saw how Sticky he
had gulled the public, especially out
side certain geographical region,
into accepting as truth what was
fraud he must have Embossed button
or two on his clerical waistcoat.
Now, though thousands in Europe
suffered death by fire as a matter of
fact and known record, no witch was
ever burned within the limits Of the
thirteen colonies or the forty-eight
States-except In imagination, hered-
ltary local tradition or the second
rate movies. Profound belief in such
alleged incineratlon Of heretics by
Puritans has long been held below
Mason and Dixon's line, In novels
and by modern writer's defective in
the reading Of American history, and
too often by picture makers.
The Blue-Laws-note the hyphen-
were written in England in 1871 by a
Connecticut born refugee who was
an Anglican churchman. His rep
utation for loyalty to the Ameri-
can 6use had been so dingy and
his zeal in behalf Of British royal
autocracy had savored so much
of propaganda that he was thrice
waited upon by his patriotic neigh
bors to test his loyalty. One of
his intercepted letters showed him
to be traitor to the American cause.
So he fed to England, to get there
what most Of the refugee loyalists
received, neglect and snubs. While
on British soil he vented his traitor
Gus spite on his former neighbors by
his screed. He collected the laws of
the New England colonies-whether
in force or dead letters It mattered
pot--and added others invented.
Then he printed what was In some
quarters swallowed down whole, just
as were later the Moon Hoax and
other journalistic sklts. Even the
Cardiff Giant Of 1850 had no such
vogue of belief as the Blue-Laws of
the Rev. Mr.. PETERS.
Collating the laws and ordinances
OF all the thirteen colonies. and not
those of New England only. we find
In every one regulations which, Judged
in the light Of to-day. seem Draconic
or Mosaic. When men Of stout hearts
and minds In new country, left be-
hind them the Old Worlds cruel codes
and customs they very naturally tried
to find in the book which they studied
most a civic system.
Are we to Judge them by the light
Of A. D. 1920 or by the ruling ideas
of the seventeenth century, In the
time Of King JAMES I. the death pen
aties In England numbered thirty
one. but by 1919, 223. Yet even In
Massachusetts and Connecticut, the
most typically Put tnn colonies. there
wero only twelve crimes, afterYard