The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on February 13, 1925:
M. W. CHUNN TAKES ISSUE WITH REPRESENTATIVE JACOBSON
Contends That Measure Prohibiting Sunday Movies, Sponsored by Him, is “Foolish and Vicious.”
To the Editor of Rock County Herald:
Many of the friends of Representative J. N. Jacobson will be disappointed in him when they learn that he is one of the sponsors of a bill to prohibit moving picture shows on Sunday. Mr. Jacobson certainly did not receive any mandate for such action from the voters of Rock county. The slogan of the voters of this county during the late campaign was “No more new laws!”
While church-going people might have a shadow of pretense to complain that out-door sports on Sunday, such as base ball and horse racing, interfere with the “repose and religious liberty of the community,” no like complaint is possible as regards moving picture shows. These shows are in an entirely different class. The show is given in-doors and there is no noise or clamor to disturb the most sensitive person.
Many persons who work all the week find on Sunday their only opportunity to attend the movies. To deprive such persons of Sunday shows would mean to deprive them altogether of this kind of amusement.
The passage of this bill would not only be unjust to the public, but unjust to the proprietors of the movies. The Sunday shows are the best patronized, and in many places it would be impossible for a moving picture theatre to exist on the week day patronage alone.
The fact that Sunday shows are so well patronized proves that the people want them. What the people want they will sooner or later get in spite of the ill-advised efforts of Mr. Jacobson and his two colleagues. A minority of fanatics cannot forever restrain a majority of the people from the exercise of their personal rights and privileges.
Other states are repealing their blue laws and allowing their citizens to enjoy themselves on Sunday. The still Sabbath of the Jews, masquerading in the garb of Sunday, no longer reigns. Minnesota has always been one of the most liberal of the states in safe-guarding the rights of its citizens, and it will not now turn backward the hands of the clock.
This bill is another manifestation of that dangerous mania to regulate the other fellow. Far too many bills have been introduced at this session of the legislature. Most of them could be described as “foolish, but harmless,” but there is no other way to describe Mr. Jacobson’s bill than “foolish and vicious.”
Feb. 10, 1925 M. W. CHUNN
Remember the auction—Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. See you there!
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.