Baumeister Wins His Fight

New York, 1895

Rev. John Baumeister, who started a crusade against the Sunday concerts at College Point, has won his fight. At the meeting of the village trustees Tuesday night they decided to prosecute all saloon keepers who have music in their places on Sunday.


Warned to Stop His Crusade

In Friday morning's mail Rev. John Baumeister, pastor of the Reformed church at College Point, who has started a crusade against Sunday concerts, received a letter warning him that if he did not cease his fight he would be tarred and feathered.


Beer Goes All Right

BUT BANDS OF MUSIC MUST NOT PLAY ON SUNDAY.

A Queer Crusade Started in College Point by Clergymen of the Reformed and Catholic Churches — Hurdy-Gurdies and Base Ball Also Interdicted.

College Point is a great place for picnics, and a good part of the town is devoted to enticing beer gardens and halls, where beer flows freely seven days of the week with the approbation of everybody, ministers included. In the summer time large parties of thirsty New Yorkers go there to fish and sail and dance and drink, to the great profit of the town, or that part of it that sells beer.

The ministers and other good people don't object to this, but they do object to the bands and hurdy-gurdies, dancing and baseball games, and, headed by Pastor Baumeister of the First Reformed church and Father Schumach of the Catholic church, they have begun a fight against these things.

There is no law and order league in the village at present. There used to be one, but when an amicable agreement was made with the retail liquor dealers' association by which the latter were allowed to sell as much beer as they wanted on Sundays if they would suppress the boisterous spirits of their New York guests, it died a natural death.

The agreement was lived up to until Easter Sunday, when there was a baseball game and an amateur theatrical show in spite of the protests of Pastor Baumeister. He warned the village trustees that such a show was a desecration of the Sabbath and contrary to the penal code, but all he got in return was the prevention of a repetition of the show on the following Sunday and an anonymous letter threatening him with a coat of tar and feathers, which, he says, didn't frighten him, however.

Thinking that the disposition of the trustees was unfavorable to a quiet Sabbath, he informed them that if any bands or hurdy-gurdies were heard within the limits of that place on a Sunday, he would go before the Grand Jury and tell all about that theatrical entertainment and make it hot for some one.

The liquor dealers and their friends say there have never been bands and hurdy-gurdies in the past, and they don't know what the pastor is driving at, because they intend that there shall be none in the future. They think the zeal of the minister, who is a young man, has carried him somewhat out of his depth, and because he has gone so far he feels that he must go further in order not to be inconsistent.

Pastor Baumeister said to a reporter on Sunday:

"All we want is a quiet Sunday. We allow the saloon keepers to sell beer on that day and say nothing, but we are going to take measures to prevent them from disturbing us at worship, and we think they will, if not warned in time. This town is losing its best people on account of the Sunday crowds, and we want to put a stop to it, if we can. I have my congregation behind me, and also the unqualified support of Father Schumach. We're going to have an improved police force and lots of good things before we stop; but we won't object to Sunday liquor selling."

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, May 3, 1895, p. 1.