The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-05-23

city at once. The city authorities
were unit in favor of it; the chic
executive officer was strongly in
favor of it; the press, the pulpit and
q strong public sentiment were in
favor of it. Subsequently q Joint
stock company, with an immense
(subscribed) capital was ORGANIZED
to suppress it at one time a num-
Der of valiant gentlemen were go.
ing to end the traffic with their little
hatchets; numerous prosecutions
were begun, continued and some
ended the city authorities spent q
large amount of the peoples money
to accomplish the desirable end
yet at the end of two years the num-
Der of places where liquid poison
was sold as 8 beverage had more
than doubled, ranging in character
all the way from the lowest den
where the vile stuff was sold to
everybody who had the mouey to
pay for it, at all time of day and
night, and during the seven days in
each week, up to the respectable and
sanctimonious drug store, where in
order to procure his daily poison
the applicant was obliged to 60
through as many contortions and
genuflections as a candidate for the
honors of the Sons of Malta. Every
one of the distinctive temperance
organizations went the way of all
the earth months ago, and the press
and the pulpit have for months been
silent on this great question. Now,
gentlemen, you who shout so lusti-
ly against license, achdt are you go
ing to do? 7Mou have practically
confessed for months past that your
plan is failure; everybody sees
that it is so, and yet in all the arti-
cles you have written, the speeches
you have made, the resolutions you
have passed, or the sermons you
have preached, there is not one sim
gle sentence or word upon which
the real friends of temperance, the
real wellwishers of our beautiful
city, the real friends of good order
and good government can hang the
hope of change for the better
through your management. Look
about over our city! Who are the
men who made it? Who are the
men who are now spending thier
time, their talents, and their money
to advance its welfare? Who are
the men foremost in every good
work? Who are the men that even
you look to, and depend upon, when
anything really useful or valuable
is to be accomplished? Are they
not the men whom you are villify-
ing and stigmatizing, whose motives
you are impugniug? One would
think that with the history of the
past two or three years staring you
in the face, that you would hang
your heads in very shame, and at
least keep silence while other men
be allowed to try some other plan
to accomplish the object which we
all desire.
1t 10 idle-it is worse than idle, it
is criminal--to attempt to trifle with
this subject any longer. You have
sat down with folded hands appar-
emily satisfied with you work, and
contented to let the hellish work go
on unrestricted, and the fair fame OF
our city become a by-word and q
kissing throughout the State, rather
than confess your failure, or allow
practical common sense to deal with
this subject as it does successfully
with others. If you expect that the
mass of the people of this city are
going to sit calmly by and allow
you to go on another two years, OIL
fGnother year, or another month
with the experience of the past
staring them in the face, you are
mistaken. They propose to restrict
this great evil, to curb it, confine it
and if possible destroy it.
You have had all the laws yoU
asked for; nobody has interferei
with you or endeavored to thwar
your plans In any way; you hay'
had full swing for at least thre'
years. What is the result? Elevel
places where intoxicating liquor
are sold by the glass; some of then
J of the lowest character. If thi
is your boosted temperance reform
I for one want no more of it. SOM
of you say that if liquor must b.
: sold let it be done in the vilest pos
: sible dens. This is matter of taste
on which we will not quarrel.
: prefer them of different chara CITE
; than have grown up under you
: fostering care, and fewer of them
! if we must have any.
: The whole tenor of the recent ui
terances of your party is calculate
to convey the impression abroad
whether Intentionally or not, tina
!: heretofore there have been no groe
shops in Emporia, and that thos
q who have been forced to fave
e license as the lesser of two evils, al
:, about to open the sluices of iniquit
for the first time. This insult th
s business portion of the commnnit
y feel keenly, and 1 am much mistak
d en- if they do not resentit promptl
!, In conclusion, gentlemen, trust
II have made my meaning so cleI
L that there need be no further ocsi
) sion for misunderstanding or mi
le representation, and allow me all
n to assure you that no amount
IT abuse or villification of your opp
ID nents will aid you, as such eour
70 is recognized by all thinking me
1t as the last prop of falling caus
IN have W ritten this article at t
l. solicitation of many old and valu,
lie friends. If there is any good in
n give them the credit. Il there
Ia anything bad, if there is anythil
ID wrong, anything which should n
ID be said, let me alone bear the biam
"a Z. p. BANCROFT.