The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-07-13
A DEMAND FOR TEMPERANCE
REFORM

New York Tribune: Ohio, Iowa,
KANSAS. and other western states have
been profoundly agitated of late with
regard 20 the sale of intoxicating liq-
uors, Is IL not time for a temperance
agitation of the night sort in New
York; Not in the direction of a pro
hibitory amendment to the constitution.
1t would be the height OF absurdity, for
the present at least, to propose such an
amendment in such state, though ex-
IRENE pFohibitionists might be satisfied
with nothing short of it. They are al
ways insisting on the wildly impossible.
But an agitation that would lessen the
power of the dram shops IN the city
government and in the legislature, and
would send men TO Albany who would
make laws in the interest Of the respect
able classes rather than for the benefit
of tipplers and barkeepers. is much
needed. This community is too slug.
gish and apathetic on this subject.
The number of places in this city
where liquor is sold is now larger than
at any previous time in the history Of
New York. The number of places
where there is any pretence of obedience
TO the law as to Sunday sales, as TO the
hour of closing, as TO dealing out strong
drink to minors, is smaller than ever be
fore. There was a great outcry a few
years ago from men who sympathiz'
with law-breakers when the station
houses were filled with criminals Whs
sold liquor on Sunday. That outer
was mischievous and unwaTranted
Those arrests certainly diminished thu
unlawful sale of liquor to an extent tina
has never been approached since. Ii
fact, under our present system such so
called arbitrary" arrests seem to be th'
only means of accomplishing anything
Nothing Of importance has been dom
since that time. The excise boar
blames the police department for mac
tivity. The police department blame
the police justices, and the police just
ces in turn blame the policemen for nc
furnishing sufficient evidence. If a cas-
ever gets so far as an indictment by tn
grand jury, the district attorneys offlc
finds itself overwhelmed by the food c
business on hands These minor offence
cannot be taken up until the men lyin
in the Tombs charged with grave crime
and deprived of their liberty are brougI
to trial. Somehow the Tombs never get
cleared, and the guilty liquor seller
rarely get tried.
The trouble back Of all this is simp.
politics. The excise board, the polit
board, the police justices and other of
J cials, if they had any wish 10 punish Il
5 lawbrcakers, could find a way east
enough. But behind every Sunds
5 liquor seller is a compact little band
e voters that he "carries" at every electiC
and commissioners, justices and assIl
ant district attorneys all stand in mo
awe OF the votes controlled by the saloC
keepers than of their oaths of Office.
long as Tammany hall and Irving hs
and every democratic hall is controll'
= | Oy ihO SLOHSAiS5J oAu 81 ApuS 40 Tx
J influence is as strong in the Republics
= central committee as it is at present il
9 proyment will be very slow. The ro'
Q to preferment in politics in this city u
! often lies through the bar-room. tt
e many keepers of saloons occupy seats
= our city hall and our state capitol. tt
4 most Objectionable and offensive of o.
. aldermen are generally our liquor de,
4 ers. The most corrupt and shameless
8 our assemblymen and senators are usul
8 graduates of the gip-mills. A remeC
for these evils may perhaps be found
such an awakening of public sentime
. as took recently in Ohio. II is difficu
i to discover any other way in which o.
city offices and legislative halls can b
, purged of the corruption for which Il
overwhelming power of the liquor ira
fic in politics is so largely responsible