Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-01-19


TO weaken those feelings of respect and ven.
Grafton for that instrument which constitutes
the reflex fnfinencss unn the Sen,,!o ,r ah me-
OF the most pernicious character.
Inc people of Kansas are a temperance
people, and will favor and Loyalty suppors
and enforce any proper law that will advance
the cause of temperance and morality but
tney are opposed to shams or systems Of law
cution by their own Incorporate provisions
and penalties. During the last year of local
option and license, the United States revenue
once OF Kansas issued eleven hundred and
thirty two Il 1922 permits to sell intoxicating
liquors, or one permit to SO persons, placing
Kansas as the first temperance State in the
there were issued, ,7SS permits, an increase
OF 6o6, and also an increase of fifty eight per
cent. or one permit to ISL persons, and taking
Kansas from the first and ranking her the
seventh temperate State, while in the first
forty-five days of the second year of prohi-
bition, !, liz permits were issued sixteen more
than in the whole year of local option and
license. If we consider these facts in oonnec-
ton with the clandestine sales of intoxicating
liquors, and consider the vast amount that Is
daily delivered to individuals in concealed
packages, by express companies, we are
forced to the conclusion that the cause of
true temperance reform has not progressed
very rapidly under our present coercive svs-
TEN. These facts forcibly remind US that We
are living under Republican form of Gov
eminent, OF and by the people, and they make
the laws as well as enforce them, and no
community will enforce a law upon itself dis
tasteful to it.
The people as a whole make the laws. but
each separate locality and community for
themselves, enforce them, ii they are put In
operation at all. Hence a due application of
these simple principles show the necessity of
wise and considerate action in the passage OF
laws, with the inquiry whether they can be
1t is undoubtedly true that the liquor traffic
has tendency to stimulate discords in the
community; to cause. drunkenness; to in
crease pauperism and crime; to bring dis
tress to many families, and cause individual
deSrad alton. But the remedy for these evils
Is not in abOrtive attempts at prohibition tbat
have always failed, butin a wise and iutlicious
license system that has worked we'll heretofore
in this state, and has been demonstrated in
other States to be the only practicable solu.
ton for these evils. There is herein double
responsibility, resting alike upon the person
who ministers to. and the individual who is
guilty OF, such excess, and society can not be
too swift in fixing responsibility, nor too
anxious in visiting punishment, both of which
license system secures, as the people have
always enforced that system, and the license
is made TO aid in the punishment of those
who Violate the law. In q popular govern
ment where the administration of the laws
devolves primarily upon the people, through
1ur1es and the choice of officers vested with civil
functions, laws repugnant to the political
sense OF large part of the community fail to
receive that support which il necessary to
impart to them the efficacy of laws.
Such condition OF things long continuing,
degrades the popular sense in respect to the
binding force of legal obligations, and gen
orally impairs the efficiency of that function
OF the law that is concerned in impressing the
moral sense, and preserving the spirit of 10y
atty and obedience among the people. In
deed, laws that like our present liquor law
exist in the teeth of traditional habits AND
customs, cOntravene the conviction of the
larger part of the community; that seek to
destroy property in the name of the public
good without compensation; that will not
allow the farmer to use the fruits of his own
labor without denOuncing him as q criminal.
that compels the physician to become the in
voluntary betrayer of the secrets of the sick
room; that offers brides for conviction: thar
makes the obtaining of medicine oppressively
expensive; that creates penalties SO oppres-
and witnesses refuse. to testify this
mas m,,,;ora shut out out the the stream of
thousands to our borders and settling up our
prairio5 and giving employment to our ar
tisans and business to our tradesmen, are q
few of the reasons why the present liquor law
can never find secure and prosperous lodge
ment among free institutions. 1t estranSes
and drives away from the temperance cause
that large, influential, and respectable class
OF our citizens who use wine and beer in
moderation, who yet are practically temper
ance men, do not and never will believe that
the simple use of the beverage is a crime, or
is so disreputable that it should subject them
or those who believe as they do to the con-
demnation OF the law or to public criticism:
voters, who may be denominated the conserv-
alive balance of power in our political sys-
the voters of the State, no system of
prohibition can be successful, or made
permanent part or our political sys-
TEN. This large class of people look
with disfavor upon any attempt to force the
question of temperance or morality as n dis
turDing element into the partisan politics of
the day, but believe it should remain q part
of our social policy that should find safe
and permanent Judgement in the affections of
all persons. The law lacks the essential ele-
ments of adaptation is not, and can not be en-
forced even in the smallest degree, without
the employment OF a despotic and tyrranical
power odio to every lover of freedom, the
employment of which is dcbasing to both
people and government, and imperils what
ever is vital and valuable in the principle of
liberty. Whatever OF advancement there has
been In the cause OF temperance has been
gained by voluntary phiIanthropic efforts
and by moral suasion, addressed to the
judgment and understanding of the people
Whatever OF progress is made in the principle
of true and enduring temperance must be Sc
cured by the same course. There is no royal
road to learning neither are there chpan AMI
easy methods of philanthropy, nor short cuts
to the millennium. All patent devices such
by them the difficulty is increased of obtain
TAI ming liquors in public places, the practice
OF drinking in private houses is promoted,
and whatever seductiveness may attend
the practice of clandenstine drinking,
and the use of liquors in private houses its
influence fa1, ior evil IS Strengthened and magni-
ference of opinion as to the best method to
pursue in the management of this difficult
people believe in aud will ioyaiiy Sustain 4t sne
law providing for local option and q high H.
cense. If this Is true, it is then wise policy
to trust the people to manage the matter as
they wish. While this is true of the largest
part of the community, they, at tho same
time, demand that the use of Intoxicating
liquors shall be regulated restrained SO as
to mitigate and destroy as far as possible all
the evil effects of the use and traffic, and
this reasonable wish should be re-
spected and gratifed. These with
other reasons that might be urged, constrain
me to invite your attention to the necessity
or at least the policy and wisdom of submit.
ting to the people, in accordance with the
provisions of the Constitution, a proposition
to repeal the prohibition clause in the Con-
stitution, and to amend the existing statute
with a view to rendering it less offensive to
the people, and more effective in its operation.
These views and suggestions are submitted in