Lawsons vs the Blue Laws – Nov. 1962: Part 1

Do you do a lot of shopping on Sunday?

I try not to. After all, it is the Sabbath. But if I didn't get my grocery shopping out of the way on Saturday, I end up at Giant Eagle on Sunday. 

It's hard to believe, but sixty years ago, a variety of Sunday closing laws (known as "blue laws") imposed limitations or outright bans on many common activities, such as shopping and buying liquor. Thus grocery shopping on Sunday was out of the question.

In Ohio back in 1962, the Lawson Milk Company tried to overturn the blue laws with a statewide bid to change the Ohio Constitution. The amendment that Lawson sponsored was called the Sunday Necessities Amendment.

A variety of ads both for and against the amendment battled it out in the Journal in the weeks leading up the election.

Here's one against the amendment that ran in the Journal on November 3, 1962. It's interesting because it features an illustration of what looks like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. Strangely, the text of the ad doesn't even try to tie in with the illustration.

The ad notes that Consolidated Foods Corporation of Chicago, the owners of The Lawson Milk Company, is sponsoring the amendment, and observes, "It takes no stretch of the imagination to realize who is paying the bills and calling the plays... and who would get richer if the Lawson stores all over Ohio stayed open while your regular milk supplier "observes Sunday."

"If we allow the "Sunday Opening" amendment to pass and open the door to the biggest of all businesses – food – it won't be long before every business will want to sell on Sundays – fair for one, fair for all. Sunday, as we know it, will cease to exist when that happens. It would be just like any other day in the week."

Here's a full-page ad sponsored by Lawson's that ran in the same edition of the Journal. It makes a good argument as well.