Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-04-06
Bemuttatit Nurtllmest.
KANSAS LETTER,
The SeasOn-The Whlskey War, &c.
From eur own correspondent
LAWRENCE, KAs., March rs, 80.

been, in the main, delightful, though
we have had some cold, clustering and
stormy weather The thermometel
has frequently indicated over 20 deg
and once reached 70 deg. There ha:
been several days of hard wind, but
from what hear. / Judge that there
has not been as much as you have had
in Ohio. There has been few DAYS
of what the Kansans call bad roads
though in OHIO they would be called
IA little sloppy" The weather has
been very changeable, one day quite
warm, and the next quite cold; and
sometimes the changes are not more
than two hours apart. The warm
weather has brought on the grass and
fruit very rapidly; all the yards in the
city have grass from two to -four
inches in height and the peach and
pear trees are in bloom. Wheat is
looking well, and the farmers are well
along with their spring work
Rain is needed, however, to give
things the right kind of start, for,
though there have been plenty of sur
face rains, or rains enough to start
che grass, &c, yet there has not been
enough to soak the ground as it needs.
Perhaps you could spare us some water
there in Ohio; if you please send it by
wire, as electricity is almost an essen
tial condition of rain here in Kansas.
Maybe you would be willing to ex-
change some of your surplus water for
some of our good roads.
1t seems to me that the man in Hen
ry county who will invent some kind
of patent for the securing of good
roads, will be as much deserving of a
"debt Of gratitude" as men who build
mills and-buy corn.
The chief topic of conversation and
discussion continues to be the liquor
question, Since my last letter the
fight has been going on as lively as
ever, and with varying fortunes.
Here in Lawrence the liquor men so
far seem to have the best of it, though
the last case that was decided in their
favor has acted, and will continue to
act against them. The circumstances
are these. One of the students brought
complaint against q prominent liquor
man of this place for the violation of
the law; and though the evidence
was direct and conclusive, they not
only brought in verdict of mot
guilty" but assessed the student the
costs on account Of ''mallclous prose-
cution." The student did not have to
pay the COSTS for dozen or more men
offered to do that, and they were
finally paid by the temperance society,
but it aid have the effect of thoroughly
arousing the temperance men Of the
town and county and melting them to
action. A large and enthusiastic
meeting was held in the Baptist church
building the Sunday following the
outrage, another was held last Sunday
and another will be held next Sunday.
The one of the Goth was presided over
by Dr. Marvin, Chancellor of the Uni
versity, and his speech at the opening
of the meeting had no uncertain ring
to it, l can tell you. He and all right
minded men support the students in
their action against the liquor dealers
| have heard some wonder that the
students did not Htake the town and
demolish all the places whore liquor is
sold; and IN some colleges, and with
some students such would be the end;
but the students here have too much
respect for the law and for themselves
to do such thing. Besides they
realize that such course would work
no permanent good to the cause they
have so much at heart.
The fault is not in the law, but in
man. The men who should execute
the law are afraid to do so, for fear
that they may lose the whiskey vote. J
Even the business men of the place |
that are in favor of temperance are,
many OF them afraid to act, for fear
that they may lose the trade of these
same all powerful whiskey men.
OF course this trait is peculiar to the
business men Of Lawrence, and of no
other place, either in Ohio nor Kansas;
and that is the reason | mention It, |
10 show how mercenary the business
men Of this place are. In Napoleon,
for instance, things are not so, but
every one who is in favor or temper
ance comes boldly out and says so;
and liquor dealers are prosecuted for
each and every violation of the law;
and there is no trouble in getting men
to serve on juries, &C., as there is here.
Well, Lawrence has not reached such
a state of perfection and does not seem
likely to very soon. G. l.. f.
''ROugh on Rats"
Clears out rats, mice, reaches, flies, ants,
bed-bugs, skunks, chipmunks, gophers.
tx cfc nruuuiotc