South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-30

u hs.e YOU expect We have suggested Il IN this
column before This sudden local upheaval has re.
chan=od our mind It isn't tho Lords Day alliance
TIL. IS trying to cake the sun out OF Sunday"
rluch rs ID is tie American Association Opposed TO
prols5ton. This Institution. financed by the old
liquor Interests. are endeavoring by the promotion
o. q -BIlc sunday" TO engender popular reaction
that uli bark back TO the days Of the saloon
quite ike Toxic il 1t is permitted to run as
4 rleaaea. Sundays wen week days. proposing
u resent the ban placed upon Sunday dancing by
de1aand.nz that the cid" be clanped down every
other Kind Of sunday recreation. the ant-pros hope
u wipe ol- all Sunday recreation unless the joys Of
the jag are 10 go along with IL, and not only on
Sundays but all days typical John Barleycorn
propaganda. sinister underhanded, devilish. It Is
anticipated that few blue Sundays" II they
be naugurated If not, then the fear OF them, will
drive the liberal element. and the near-liberal co
demanding repeal OF an Sunday laws, and the 18th
amendment and Volstead act along with them; in
deed tn the language OF Biblical promise, unoosing
his satanic u.a Iesty. ut least for a season.
Representatives of the Lords Day alliance who
are 10 speak in the south Bend churches today will
do well to make this plain: that they not play
ing into tbo hands liquor interests that IS. il
they are uos-aud their literature disclams it.. Be
fore as IS statement of the alliance published 10
Christian Work recently. In it the alliance denies
any such campaign for the enactment Of sabbath
legislation as has been reported IN the Iress; that
too. while the press associations have been profuse
in the dissemination ~ exaggerated stories. they
have miumizcd tltg denial. and numerous news
papers have refused print them at all. 1t seems
much the same Brand of propaganda as was spread
just previous to Tho national political conventions
last summer when ID was wanted TO create the i'm
preston among acIsrates OF both parties that the
country was solid. coz nearly So behind the wet
What the Lords Day alliance seems TO be fight
ing is a "commerciaIzed Sunday" It recognizes that
sour weekly rest day has civic and industrial as well
as commercial values" It acknowledges the day as
Of needed rest and wholesome recreation as well
as a day of religious worship. That isn't so very
fanaca or bad It criticses. and rightly those
mercialzed sunday amusements. which operating
for profit lose all OF the moral and ideauz-
ing influences OF the sabbath" and demands the
forcoment of Sunday laws a degree that VIII
obviate tn immoral Influences.
II may be surprising that contrary 10 popular
derstanding instead of legislation being oontem-
Hated i'm Washington. % amend the constitution,
stop Sunday trains. sunday newspapers. and every
kind of Sunday recreation going back the obsO-
iete laws Of the 18th century" the only bill pend
ing down There, or even contemplated. is
elusively applicable The District OF Columbia. 1t
= charge of local society. It has been before
congress for 81 number years. II isn't extreme
measure either is much nilder than the average
sunday law in force i'm ~ of states
Observe the diligence with which those protesting
against this imaginary Sunday legislation. have
dcavored TO hitch the Lords Day alliance onto the
AnU-saloon league. Isn't fear OF taking the
sun OF sunday "a pretty good fear TO engender.
II you want get people 90 thinking about some
thing else besides enforcement of the vostead code;
TO encourage popular resentment Of the govern
1aent crusade AGAINST bootleggers? There you have
It, While the people are wageing their tongues about
r,.rf.. TO-
fear les, "biue sunday be imposed uron them In
consequence thcy are not agitatlng the enforcement
Of our laws against bHnd-ugers. bawdy-houses and
gambling he,s.
We do rot know as Mayor Carson IN his sudden
conversion sunday dance hall suppression thought
that far not but &c is having that effect just the
same il IS for this reason that it took three iuries
10 convict the Toxic management. And you may rest
assured that the nooueEgers. gamblers and prost-
tutee should The Toxic proprietor carry out his
Threats. win delighted him a counter
i-ritaut. while they curse the churches and every
edvoca,e or Respectable sunday. as being respon-
slble for a
all comes in very handy just at this time OF
the year, this once En- four years-with a city cam
pasn off and the present city administration.
and its city hall machine, wanting TO perpetuate
themselves Anything to make the public forget the
vEest conditions with which they are surrounded
10y eving that public something else think about
and 10 fear. Indeed, it IS a move that might have
been well calculated induce the liberal near
liberal elements 20 inLorse these administrative
ssortcouainl-s re=eutrrleut FOR the attempt
current IN The popular imagination 10 take the sun
@ Sunday charged up the churches.
We decline 20 be humbugged by the process; that
g az. Il IS opinion based the loso OF events
and facts os we have them before us-and here 1t &.
FOR what e IS worth; much little. Closing Toxic
and other sunday dance halls need scare no one on
this Blue Sunday" rroposition-if they viii Just use
their heads not be too gullible.