The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-02-16
THE BOSTON HERALD STORY
r- DENIED.

IL VIII DC remembered IndL 4HE
NEWS u few days ago published an item
form the Boston Herald which stated
thar Governor st John was in the east
to beg fund of 100000 to assist In en-
forcing the prohibition law. We stated
at the time that this charge had been
several times made in reputable papers
in Kansas, (and we are willing 10 say
that several very reputable papers in the
state oppose prohibition, and say 1t, too,
without coupling with it the charge of
hYpOcracy) and had never been denied.
We said then we would be extremely
glad to know that the statement made by
the Herald and by Kansas papers that we
were in the east in the attitude of beg
gars again to raise money to enforce
our own laws, was erroneous.
The Topeka Capital of Monday comes
out with q denial of the Herald story,
and we are glad 1t has done so. THE
NEWS, as is known, has nothing but the
most friendly feeling for Governor st.
John and the cause which he is so
nObly working for, but it would not aid.
by word or deed, any one in seeking
eastern aid rs charged by the Herald.
We presume the people of Kansas
have no idea of the extent to which
begging for Kansas is carried on
in the eastern states. During
brief visit east last sum-
mer We heard of several instances where
the people were imposed on for IN
heard Of objects by unheard of Kansas
beggars. This begging business in the
name of Kansas has grown TO be "cry-
ing evil" and il is humiliating to every
Kansan 10 know that it is carried on
when there is no need of il. There are
some people here who endorse the dis
reputable business, and say, What of
il! II the people of the east want TO
give us money, all right, let us take it.
Kansas is the battle ground" If Kan
sas is the battle ground let us fight
with our tongues, pens and
our money. All the money we
need for the temperance warfare
can be raised here when it is needed.
But to the denial by the Capital of the
Herald's story. We have no doubt but
that it is authoritative, and we hope the
charge will not longer be made, espec-
tally by Kansas papers. After copying
the Herald item the Capital proceeds
to say:
The only shred of excuse for such a
statement as this is the fact that at the
~ II ~ al
Brooklyn, a collection was taken up in
the interest of providing and dissent
mating Temperance literature" When
this collection was suggested, Gov. st.
John asked that statement be made
that IL was not done on his account or at
his request or desire; and such . state.
ment was made by Mr.. Dodge. Out of
this simple incident, . thing liable to
occur in any church any Sunday, the
Boston paper aforesaid is unfair and
malicious enough to manufacture the
above mean SANDER, not only upon the
Governor, but upon the State of Kansas
The reputation of Gov. st. John is not
specially In the keeping of the Capital.
We have nothing whatever at stake in
his political fortunes; and his relations
TO this paper are in no sense such as to
Incline IL towards him any more than
towards any other OF our public men.
But there is something due to candOr, to
proprieiy and to decency. A good deal
may be said, and said truly, in the gov
ernor's favor as the foremost representa-
tive OF the temperance cause IN Kansas,
il not in the United States. It may GER
tainly be denied, in the broadest and
most emphatic way, that he has ever
asked or received money for his adVo-
eaey of prohibition. He has probably
made as many temperance speeches as
any man Of his age in the country, and
received as little pecuniary recompense
for them. We happen TO know that he
very recently refused an offer of $500
for q single prohibition lecture; he has
uniformly declined to speak where an
admission fee was chaged and lately he
has been adding the condition that no
contribution shall be taken up.
These are simple facts, and il is only
common justice and fairness 70 state
them. Governor st. John is not above
criticism; but II Is neither right nor re.
putable TO keep retailing these stale sto-
| ries about his max ing money or asking
aims as a temperance advocate. Hell pays
his way wherever he goes, and does not
beg either in his own behalf or that Of
the state; and papers that start or aid in
circulating reports to the contrary are
pursuing q policy that does them
no credit and their cause no good. The
sober truth is that the begging has been
done snd the money employed not by
those seeking the enforcement of the
| prohibitory law but by those banded to-
gether to defeat IL and bring it into con-
tempt and ridicule. Those who are rails
ing funds in a way To "belie the New
England origin OF Kansas" are the par
ties who seek to sell liquor and make
drnnkards and degrade society by vio-
lating and defying 9 plain Law OF the