Allegheny-Philadelphia County PA Archives News.....Old Blue Laws Enforced January 10, 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Blum-Barton lab56@bellsouth.net September 6, 2006, 10:01 pm The Weekly Constitution, Atlanta, Ga. January 10, 1893 Pennsylvania Supreme Court Affirms the Judgment Punishing a Publisher. Philadelphia, January 3.--The supreme court with a full bench today affirmed the validity of the old blue law of 1794 in relation to the publication of Sunday newspapers. The case was that of Thomas Mathews, publisher of The Pittsburg Sunday Leader, convicted of publishing and issuing his paper on Sunday under the act of 1794, which prohibits the following of worldly pursuits on the Sabbath, save those that are an absolute necessity for the wants of the community. The supreme court in affirming the decision of the lower court, gives its opinion that the law upon the subject is plain and it could do nothing but interpret as it did and confirm Matthews's conviction. The court says that the framers of the act of 1794 could not foresee the growth of newspapers or that the would possibly have exempted them under the provisions of the act. The court in conclusion commends the act but says that too literal an enforcement of its provisions may lead to its repeal and that it is in more danger from its friends than its foes. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 1.7 Kb