The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-02-25
Blue LAWS ARE CITED
MUCH AGITATION RECALLS
THEM IN STATES
In the Middle-West Section
Sunday Statutes Dead
Letters
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch.1

.rSlSlatiOn and enforcement mas iS
vealed that virtually all OF the ma
die western states at the present
time have Sunday blue laws, although
many have come TO- be regarded as
dead letter. statutes because OF non
enforcement. In few Of these states
there has been no state Legislation
prohibiting Sunday amusements or
trade. but ordinances corresponding
| to Sunday blue laws have been passed
Dy many of the municipalities in such
states.
The statute which is most common
| in the different states is that which
prohibits the carrying on OF business
or trade on the Sabbath, excepting
works Of charity or necessity. In
most instances the works OF charity
or necessity are enumerated ana
there is a provision, as general
rule, that the statute shall not be so
construed as to affect persons who
! conscientiously observe the seventh
! day of the week instead of the first as
| the Sabbath.
In Indiana whore agitators for the
enforcement of the blue laws have
been especially active recently there
lis only one statute which might be
considered as blue law. This statute
relates to Sabbath breaking and its
provisions have been Interpreted in
various ways by law enforcement Of
ficers in the different localities.
The law provides fine OF 81 to
$40 for persons over fourteen years Of
age who are found on Sunday riot.
ing, hunting, fishing, quarreling, at
common labor or engaged in their
usual avocations' Persons engaged
in works of charity or necessity are
exempted from the provision.
l. Baseball Games Permitted
Baseball, games are permitted be-
| tween the hours of and 6 p. m. pro-
vided they are held not less than
! 900 feet from any established house
of worship or permanent church
structure used for religious purposes.
The baseball bill was passed in 1903 as
an amendment to the act regarding
observance of the, Sabbath. Three
men representing the National Reform
Association have been touring In
diana for several weeks discussing
sabbath observance.
! An injunction obtained by the
Princeton, Ind, Law and Order league
forbidding an amusement company to
run Sunday picture shows was up
held by the circuit court. In South
Bend recently, following failure to
observe an order issued by the mayor
that dancing halls should be closed
on Sunday, a jury found that Sun
day dance hall was not necessity and
the proprietor was guilty Of violating
the law. .-.s
An old Minnesota statute prohibits
on Sunday, sporting events, exer-
cises and shows when they seriously
interrupt the repose and religious
liberty of the community" The. law
also specifies that all trades, manu-
features and sale Of merchandise,
except works of charity and necessity
are prohibited onrthat day.
An amendment, however, permits
Sundav baseball between the hours of
l and p. m. and ruling of the SUI
preme court permits theaters in that
state to operate on Sunday provided
they do not seriously hamper or in
terrupt the quietness Of the Sabbath.
which bans all business on Sunday
except that which is absolutely
necessary" Attorney General Payne
has ruled that this law is defective
and cannot be enforced and bill has
been prepared to be submitted to
the state legislature which will legal
ize Sunday baseball. Two sets Of bills
also are being prepared, one looking
to the repeal Of the present blue law
and the other providing new set of
blue laws. Only bills prohibiting
Sunday baseball and Sunday movies
are expected to come before the pre-
sent session of the legislature
No Blue Laws In Missouri
| Strictly speaking, there are no blue
! laws on the Missouri statute books
There are a few laws which might be
so construed. according to Attorney
General Jesse W. Barrett, but these
are what are known as dead letter"
laws and are not enforced. Only one
blue law, bill to prohibit the opera
ton Of theaters on Sunday has
been introduced at the present leg
islative session.
Iowa has the prevalent blue law
providing a fine for persons who on
Sunday are engaged in carrying fire.
arms, dancing, hunting, shooting,
turbing a worshipping assembly or
private family, or in buying or selling
property of any kind, or in any labor
except that of necessity or charity"
The fine is 81 to SIS and the statute
provides for Imprisonment in case of
nonpayment Of fine.
Arkansas Sunday blue laws include
acts prohibiting exhibition of motion
pictures, vaudeville. or other profess
SlOnal JneaLrlCal performances Tor
which an admission charge is made.
the sale of all merchandise profess
sional baseball and the playing of
cards on Sunday.
Theaters are not permitted to op-
crate on Sunday in North Dakota but
under law initiated last summer
baseball on Sunday is permitted at a
certain distance from Church, pro-
vided no admission is charged.
Other sport events on Sunday with
the exception of hunting. are banned.
Prize fighting is barred, but boxing
exhibits with no purse and no de-
cision may be held North Dakota al
so has law prohibiting servile labor
on Sunday excepting works of neces
sity or charity, and one prohibiting
sale Of most goods.
The blue law in Kansas providing
for the closing of theaters on Sunda7
is enforced quite rigidlv. In Kansas
on Sunday only drug stores. are
mitted to do business; manual labor
is prohibited and it is against the law.
for the farmer to work in the field
Kansas also has anti cigarette and
anti prize fight laws, but cigarettes
are said to be on sale in many cities
and boxing bouts seldom are interior
ed with
Bills are before the present legis-
&.,,- = AaI ~. -.