The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-08
THE LICENSE QUESTION

last weeks issue, commenting on my
communication in relation to the city
government, varies SO far from the
point at issue, and the facts as to my
action in the council. thar / should not
notice it did l not believe that you
honestly entertained the opinion there
in expressed. on endeavor to make
but two points: lst, that the people
have been consistent in their action on
this question: 2ndly, that as a coun-
Gilman 1 have not been. Let Us see.
In that communication 1 did not re.
fer to myself, nor to my course in the
council. did not aim to show that /
had acted consistently or otherwise. I
simply attempted to show, as a citizen,
that It was the best policy to grant liz
censes, Then why run off and leave
that which concerns the public well
fare for the simple purpose of showing
whether 1 had been consistent or not
Nor does my action In the council,
whatever it may have been, disprove
the assertion which / made that the
people are to blame for having no pol
Icy on the license question. ] stated
that, judging from the results of the
three last elections, they had no policy.
Is that assertion true? Now for the
facts. About eighteen months ago the
question as to whether licenses should
be granted or not was squarely submit
ted to a vote of the people of the city.
At that election a majority of the votes
pOlled was in favor of granting llcens-
es. At the next election in the spring
the eople elected a majority of the of
ficers, including a mayor, opposed to
licenses. Was there any consistency
in the results of these two elections
Not a bit, and we might just as well
say so. At that election Mr.. Watson
was chosen q member of the council
from the 4th ward upon the antl-li-
cense ticket. Last fall Mr.. Beck, the
other member from that ward, resign
ed his seat in the council. A special
election was ordered to fill the vacan-
cy. But two candidates were in the
fleld-Mr. Smith, who was opposed to
licenses, and Mr.. Wood, who was In ia
vor of them. The issue was sQuarely
made. What was the result? The IL
cense candidate was elect ted nearly
three to one. Was there any consist
ency in the results of these two cleo
tons in that ward? Not bit. Then
have l not proven the truth of the as
sertion which L made, that, judging
from the results OF the three last cleo
tions, the people have acted incOnsist-
emily, and practically have no policy
on the question? I nOw ask, while
considering the consistency of things,
which of the two gentlemen truly rep
resents that ward, Mr.. Wood, who was
elected to favor license, or Mr.. Watson
who was elected to oppose it? Mr..
Wood, undoubtedly, because he was
last elected, and elected, too, upon the
license question. But, does Mr.. Wat
son change his vote in accordance with
the latest expression of his constitu-
ents? Not much. Will anti-license
meR call on him to resign for disre-
garding the wishes of the people of his
ward as expressed ut the last election |?
No, they will not. By not doing so
they show lack of principle, which
should at least estop them from eharg-
ing dearth of it in others. You men
who talk so much about consistency
and principle should see to it that you
get the beams out of your own eyes,
instead of clawing for the notes in the
eyes of others. On matters affecting
the moral and financial interests of the
city do not propose, so far as am
concerned, to undertake to a1anufact-
ure little cheap bunkum for myself
!. 0y beslObbering the people with q lit
tie fulsOme praise at the expense of the
truth and to the detriment Of their in
terests. am one of the people, as you
; are. We suffer as taxpayers, and are
J belittied as citizens by the foolish ac-
, ton on this question. Either as indI-
Viduals or as q community know We
T don't like to be criticised too sharply
}, but sometimes it brings US much quick.
1 CE SAAC SOOCt SCCOlu 1k1OuklIs
} When q child is pursuing . wronS
8 course one stern command by the par
: ent to "stop" is worth q dozen honeyeC
: words that only encourage him to g,
y on. Oar financial condition, at least
It demands plain talk. We have had, al
: most without interruption, four year
g of the no-license policy, and il we ar
If to have four years more of it, with sim
2 liar results, we had better put the cit
e into bankruptcy, and abandon It absc
c lutely tn free whisky.
le / wish now, in = brief manner, I
II prove that my action in the eounc
l. has not only been perfectly consistsn
l. but true to the soundest representatiy
It prlaciple ever asserted in this conntE.
l. In the first place, was elected witt
J. out opposition, to do, as I un7erst0c
m IL, the best could to promote the gel
er eral interests Of the city. What one I
N two others may claim know no
ID Shortly after my election the questiS
or of granting licenses came up In q
%, council. Amer carefully e0asiderIE
IN the matter came to the cOnclnsiG