Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-11
BY BEN McKELWAY.
ABOR DAY marks. in way, the
aa5 nF Cn,1,poa,- dow droo NC ord

gam COUNTERS III preparation ION
school. Those dedicated to makine
the world a better place to live in uuit
the Chautauqua rostrums and head
for Washington. here to polish their
armor and shine their shields against
the opening of Congress. Leaves turn
from green to gold and flutter to the
cutters. The ants gather in their
council rooms and plan the Winters
campaign. The pros assemble and in
form their bright young men of what
to include and what to forget in the
statements for the press. Morris
Hacker, at the District Building. soon
Will be telling the reporters how he
will remove the snow from the streets
this Winter, If any.
once again the Nations spotlight
Is being focused on on Washington.
and one of the many interesting per-
formances in store for those who fol.
low its rays will be the struggle for
and against a Sunday closing law for
the District of Columbia. Those who
favor such legislation have held and
are planning to hold further confer
ences. Those "agin" the legislation
are even now issuing statements TEEN
ing with such fine words as "zealots. -
fanatics" 'intolerant' and "sancti-
monious tyrants." But these are only
the preiiminaries-sparr matches.
IS 1t were-in preparation for the big
hight to take place when the Congress.
sional referee enters the ring.
Stacks of Legal Opinions.
Proponents of the Sunday law are
already outlining their contentious.
They point to the fact that the Dis.
trict is one of the few large cities in
the country which has no law regu-
l3flnQ labor and ;oI
ments on Sunday. They assert that
a growing disregard for the Sabbath
results in a leSsening of the influences
of religion and of the church. They
say that as the family owes its
strength TO the institution of mar
riage, so the church owes it's strength
IN part TO the Teverent observance of
one day in seven for the worship of
God. AS there are laws regulating
and controlling marriage, so there
should be laws regulating and con-
trolling the observance of Sunday, and
there are stacks of sound legal opin-
ions upholding the validity of such
laws. One of the arguments is that
the jails are filled, that crime has in
creased in the last decade and that
the Russian Soviet, and certain sects
and organizations in the United States,
are teaching that religion is a myth
and Christianity a superstition. \
Opponents of the proposed legisla-
ton cali it a "blue law; an attempt
to legislate morality into the souls of
an overworked .popuiace which must
find Sunday recreation at the ball
park or the picture show. They allude
to such laws as exemplifying what
they believe to be growing tendency
of the church to trespass on the
-sr~1,k 80 k4kN T1HS
"bigots" those who contend otherwise.
They refer to the proposed legisla-
ton as "shackles" and "straitjackets"
on the movements of a liberty loving
people, and they threaten to produce
as witness at the proposed hearings
on the measure no less an authority
than the versatile Clarence barrow of
Chicago, who somehow has won re-
nown by his personification. of the
last stand of the freeman against the
vicious activities Of the powerful re-
lgious lobby"
Residents Are Nom Combatants.
Such argument for and against Sun
day legislation are well known and
often cited. But the most interesting
thing about the proposed law for the
District, and aside entirely from its
merits or its dement's, Is the fact that
the District is concerned because it
happens, accidentally, to be the battle
ground. One of the big reasons for
obtaining a law for the District is that
it will put the National Legislature on
record as favoring a reverent observ-
ance of the Sabbath, guaranteed by
statue. The residents of the District
are non-combatants who by chance
live within the area of hostilities.
They perforce take the position of in
nocent bystanders. Whether or not
they are consulted makes no differ
ence. The big guns of the fight are
brought from out of town. The main
pressure for the law will come from
out of town. What Washington thinks
Of the bill is neither here nor there.
Whether bill If passed would be adj
vantageous or Instantaneous de-
ponds altogether on the point of view.
But the manner pursued in pushing
the bill is an enlightening study of
the unique position of Washingtonians
in a supposedly free and popularity
governed Republic.
The fight for a Sunday closing law
for the District is now being waged
chiefly by the National Lords Day
Alliance. an organization with head
quarters in New York City. Its ex-
ecutive officer, its spokesman and its
main directing force is Rev. DR.. Harry
l.. Bowlby, a Presbyterian minister,
who for many years has been prom
inently identified with the Sunday leg
islation movement. His offices are
also in New York, except when his
presence is demanded here to manage
the fight on Capitol Hill. The Ma
tional Lords Day Alliance has con-
stituent body in the District, but it
.Sx.&- Of 70 on VanH.
and in theory only. 1t has never held
a meeting here. 1t maintains no local
headquarters. It's representatives on
the New York body are figure heads,
according 10 one of them. The New
York organization has a membership
scattere1 throughout the country,
whose dues pay the operating ex-
pensss of the headquarters. 1t serves
as a clearing house and central
agency for the bodies throughout the
and which are working for Sunday
closing laws, but it does not repre-
sent or control all Of them. The Mary
land Lords Day Alliance, for instance
is an Independent and separate body
holding no allegiance to the New York
organization.
New Bill Planned.
It would be natural to suppose tina
the Lords Day Alliance, coming
down to Washington from New Yorl
10 lobby in behalf of a Sunday clos
ing law for the District. would fin'
a host of allies in the ministers o
Washington, the majority of whom
naturally indorse, as a principle,
-.roper observance of the Sabbath
But such is not the case. It woul
be natural again to suppose that sucl
an organization as the Methods
Board of Temperance and Publ
Morals, which, as its name implies
r,1anu q vatchfIIt eve on the measure