Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-08
Sane Churchmen Not
Fauoring Blue Laws'
rBy r. q. DoughertyJ

Washington. Dec. Z. - Legislation
providing for Sunday blue laws"
advocated by the International Re-
form Bureau, the Lords Day Alliance
and other reform organizations,
which have already occasioned coll
umns after columns OF comment for
and against in big eastern news
papers. will not be given serious con-
sideration at the coming session of
congress. II was indicated today by
such moralists as Senator Wesley L..
Jones, Of Washington, Congressman
Charles II. Randall. of California, the
only prohibition party member in
congress, and others.
The present agitation among the
reform organizations has been Sc
verely attacked by eastern editors.
members OF the clergy and others,
who declare the move to take the
sun" out Of Sunday Is not justified
The blue law agitation In New York
City alone Is directed against every
form of amusement, even to the ex-
tent of limiting the automobile driv
ing for pleasure to few hours each
Sunday.
Opposition to drastic legislation to
provide for Puritanical Sunday laws
also developed today among members
Of so-called reform organizations.
The board OF temperance, prohibition
and public morals OF the Methodist
Episcopal church, In a statemtnt is
sued by Deets Pickett, research sec
rotary of the organization, objects to
calling the proposed legislation blue
laws" The Methodist organization
favors Sunday rest laws" says Mr..
Pickett in his statement, which fol-
lows:
Because Of so much discussion Of
so-called blue laws alleged to be
contemplated by individuals or as
sociations. the board Of temperance,
prohibition and public morals take
this opportunity to say that 1t is not
In favor Of blue laws or any laws
which are not sane, enforcible and in
accord with the spirit and letter Of
the United constitution.
The board is also very much op-
posed to the red laws and customs
desired by elements which are hos
tile to the traditions and spirit of
America and which desire to sub
merge the moral standards OF Ply
mouth Rock and jamestown beneath
European continentalism. The board
speaks only for itself. nor many ut
terances Of any other persons or
group Of persons be by implication
fairly attributed to this board"
DR.. Clarence True Wilson, general
secretary of the Methodist board, de-
timing the attitude of the board
toward the matter of Sabbath obser-
vance, said:
i believe that instead of importing
the constitutional Sunday with it's
loose morals and low ideals We
should replace our American Sab
bath on it's civic foundations as it
stood before the German American
Alliance trampled it in the mire of
our American cities, to establish on
Its ruins their continental Sunday.
foreign to our form Of government
ana 1nimlcal to the morals of our
people. adapted to beer garden civ
illzation and bclstertng the type of
German imperialism that went toNits
crash. We need the Sabbath day for
the sake Of the men and women who
toll, for the support of the family
Ire of the republic, TOR the oppor-
tunity OF the church 10 keep the
moral standards paralleled with the
mental advice and material welfare,
Tor the intellectual and religious life
OF American workers, and for the
sake OF decent courtesy to the pre-
vall1ng religion. We should have
sunday rest laws for man apart from
the religious significance of their
relation to Gbd."
The International Reform Bureau
mas called convention OF all reform
organizations to meet here Dec. &
10 1or the purpose of mapping out
program for federal legislation
against immortality.