The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-25
penngs Family Subjects
suNrAY BASEBALL
Subject Disussed in Communication
That Is iSe.fExpIanatory

Subject Discussed in Communication
That Is Se.tExpanatoy
Editor OF The Banner:
Will you kindly print the full text
of the new Sunday law enacted at the
last legislature? It follows:
"A person shall not between twelve
o'clock Saturday night and twelve
o'clock the following Sunday night ex-
ercise any secular business or en-
ployment, except works of necessity
and charity, nor engage in any dance,
nor shall person promote or engage
in any play. game, sport or enter
tainment, during said hours, for
which admission is taken or for
which any compensation is received,
directly or indirectly, or which dis
Idurbs the public peace A person
who violates a provision of this act
shall be fined not more than fifty dol
lars for each offense.'
In the interest of full understand,
ing by the commun ty as a whole of
the present situation we wish to have
published the letter appended. No
reply has been received, and it has
seemed impossible to secure any con
ference for a satisfactory adjust
ment of the matter
George S. Mills.
June "a, 1927
Bennington, Vermont
June l3, 1921.
Mr.. David T. Murray,
Bennington, VT.
Dear Sir:
We are addressing you as the head
of the local Knights Of Columbus, and
will kindly ask you to bring the fol-
lowing communication as soon as
possible to the attention Of the order
or of It's executive officers.
1t is our understanding that the
Knights OF Columbus are promoting
this season baseball organization,
and so are responsible for the Sunday
games which are being played.
These Sunday games, as you should
know are in violation of the new
Sunday law enacted by the last legis-
lature.
1t was the object of that legislat on
to secure more liberal and enforce
able law. The old law was faulty in
that il made no clear distinctions
Every form of recreation and amuse-
ment on Sunday seemed to be illegal.
The people generally did not and
could not live up to il. The senti-
ment in most of our communities was
not behind it, But we now have a
law which is in no sense blue law,
so called, which is not an absurdity
and a Joke Its provisions would ap-
pear to permit amateur or inorganic
ed play or recreat!on-as the indi'
vdual conscience may desire or en-
dorse such. 1t does. however, def
nitely in our judgement forbid such
sport as the baseball games your or
ganization IS now sponsoring.
We respectfully call your attention
to this statement in the Sunday law
Nor shall a person promote or en-
gage in any game, sport or entertain
mentor which admission is taken
or for which compensation is receiy-
ed directly or indirectly,
We understand you are not selling
tickets OF admission to the game, but
are receiving contributions from
those attending, under supervision
that amounts to the same thing as if
you charged fixed price to see the
game. Last Sunday you screened off
the grounds. You had advertised a
noted professional from away, draw
ing the crowds from outlying towns
and cities.
II is plain to us that the law is yio-
lated in the letter of it as well as in
the spirit of it. We respectfully sub
nit that it was just this sort OF
thing baseball nthis scale and in
this organ zed fashion which could
not help but disturb in some degree
the peace of the community and run
the grave risk of introducing certain
evils like betting on the game to the
injury of youth-that the aforesaid
law was intended to define and pro-
hibit
Now, we, tsa undersigned, wish to
believe that you have not duly con
sidered this matter. and weighed the
objections which a large part of the
community has to Sunday baseball
You are an organization which has
taken a stand for law and order, and
you have recently prided yourself on
that fact, and in this you have had the
hearty approval and support OF all
our people.
1t seems to us that the Knights Of
Columbus cannot consistently stand
for law and order in general and en-
courage its violation in this special
instance.
We represent a number of our
churches and otter organizations, ana
are confident that we have the back
ing of the great majority in these
several constituencies. We are
panied by the fact that the new law
from the very date of it's enactment
should become dead letter 1t dis
credits Bennington and hurts the fair
name of the state of Vermont.
Therefore we earnestly ask you
to consider the abandonment OF
the Sunday games, We ask this
in the interest of law and
order. we ask it for the sake
of a good commun ty feeling, for
many of our people in the present
situation are offended and distressed
We should appreciate a prompt re-
ply to this letter. and will be glad to
confer in committee with any whom
the Knights of Columbus might de/-
gate to discuss the whole question
with us.
n ought to he sa' i'm this connec-