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Businessmen, ministers—THREE *** 131 *•?*• priMrty from rei%low wd bwbwyksd As W-togtos Ceqrty eoorthoMsTiiM-** ^ *? **•**«■ ***»**M+xM rspetl lawsfovsrataf today bu»m opaiiagi.By the «ad of the lt;w-ind e half hour seeek*, six pertooshad testified la law ol repealing Woe lam, while 14 npnoocdeoy revision ia the law.. ”*** •*unent opposition to repeallag the lam camefrom merchant*, who maintained that if store* are allowed to open m Sunday, bustaess costs will Wcreaae but profits won't.“More and more stores will be competing longer and longer hours for a dwindling share’* of the public’s money, asserted John Ritchey, executive director of the Hagerstown-Washing* ton County Chamber of Commerce,Ritchey and other business officials said that even though repealing blue laws would not legally force stores to open on Sundays, sales competition would force them to do so.Others, however, disagreed. “That argument ... doesn’t have a lot of logical weight,” countered Richard Noel to the businessmens’ claim.Noel, the pastor of a Seventh Day Adventist church inGmtt County, argued that Sunday Mm laws tefrto oc the rehgicM freedom of denominations whkh do not observe Sun* day as a holiday. The Adventists obesm Saturday as thtir hWy-“ Every man should be allowed to keep whatever day bef-? Bo*oe P**tor lt;* an Adventistchurch in Cumberland.“Jtehgion is not a matter of legislation but a matter of the heart, Raith said. He claimed ministers who support keeping businesses closed on Sundays are In effect admitting “they doe’t have the power of the spirit” to have their parishionersobserve bolydays.Tuesday’s bearing waa conducted by a commission established by the Maryland General Assembly to study thevarious blue laws ia the state and make recomniHsndatkxi* on chMogtog them, pouibly by creating a uniform state law The law would not govern Sunday liquor regulations,John S. Mclnetwey, s Rockville attorney, is beading the commission and chaired Tuesday’s hearings. Three of the 13 members of the commission attended the bearing.Mclnemey has said privately that under present laws, retailers in one county may be losing business to retailer?; in ascuss repeal o f blue lawsneighboring county because of the county-by-county variance In the Sunday opening laws.A uniform state law, be has said, would help alleviate those problems. The attorney, however, would not predict what recommeodatioM the commission will make to the General Assembly concerning the bine laws.But he did indicate that the commission should make a recommendation by December. He said Tuesday's hearing wasthe fifth in a series of six the commission is holding throughout the state.Tuesday’s bearing was the largest bearing the commissionhas held so far, Mclnerney said. He also said more smallbusinessmen testified at Tuesday’s hearing than at the other sessions.One small businessman, William dowser Jr. of Hagerstown, said legislation restricting Sunday openings should remain a “county issue, not a state Issue. He said it would be unfair to require this area to abide by the more “liberal” attitudes of people in metropolitan areas of the state.Those who hold Sunday as the Sabbath must be respected,” dowser said.His statement was echoed by the Rev. Paul Crew, of the41'Ckurch of Ike Naarene t* Ha|«r*towi. Crew also eoateaM Jaduitriee rtmtld be force* to ckee oe Suadty.»°rt »d»ywfcee«f«mUy cm be together,rcet together wd prey together,” Crew uid. He arped igaim allowing the Interests of mioodtiee So dictate policies for themajority.It’s about time that the minority were put in their place,” be argued. “The best interest of tbe majority are not to repeal the blue laws.”But James King, pastor of a Hagerstown Seventh Day Adventist Church, countered that “in matters of conscience tbe majority has no authority. He said law* shouldn’t infringe on people’s rights to choose religious holydays.Blue laws, he said, degrade the state which enacts them.” King proposed that the state law be revised to permit stores to be open any six days of the week. This would remove the religious taint from the present law, he said.In Washington County, most major businesses are prohibited from operating on Sunday, unless they have no more than six persons working, including management personnel. Businesses such as drugstores, delicatessens, bakeries, service stations, restaurants and antique shops are exempted.
Newspaper Details
The Daily Mail
Hagerstown, Maryland, US
Wed, Oct 29, 1975
Page 41
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 23 Jul 2020
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