The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-01-04
VEIL s4IH

Under the head of "Prohibilion in
Kansas . the New York Tribune Of
recent date has the following sound and
rational editorial:
"The future OF the temperance move
ment in Kansas Riil be awaited with
considerable interest, now that Govern
or-elect Click is announcing so emphai-
ically that he finds no good in prohibi-
tion. Elected upon an Anti Prohibi-
ton platform. although not upon that
issue alone, and oSing his election part
ly to the aid of the liquor interests, it IS
OF course, to be expected that Mr. Click
should on every occasion denounee pro
hibilion, of which his unsuccessful CD
poneni, Governor 81. John, has been the
champion,
Some recently published utterances of
Mr. Click, however appear 10 indicate
that his zeal is carrying him too far.
He says; "In the year preceding pro-
hibition in Kansas the United States
revenue collector issped 1882 permits
TO sell intoxicating liquors, being one
permit TO every SO persons, showing
Kansas 10 he the first temperance state
in the Union. The first year of prohib-
ition Col Carpenter, the United States
revenue collector, issued 1888 permits,
being an increase of 50 per cent, or one
permit to every J5I persons, which
makes Kansas the seventh temperance
state" Now if Mr.. Click wishes Us To
believe literally that an increase OF over
one-half of the number oil drinking
places throughout the state followed the
enactment of the prohibitory law, he
asks altogether too much. The suppo-
sition is unreasonable. Nor granting thai
his figures are correct, does the issuing
OF permits by collector justify his in
ference He would not clainl that pre-
vious TO prohibition there were i,l3I
places in the state where liquor wa!
sold. Nor would he deny that on tue
passage of the law, which was expec tee
to be stringently enforced, most liquor
sellers would desire 10 screen themselve'
far as possible, and thus those who haC
had no permits before would apply TO
them, without any actual increase in th'
number 1t is 10 be hoped also that il
his calculation of proportions Mr.
Click took cognizance of the unusually
rapid growth of the population at tina
time. He continues: "In the first forty
five days OF the second year of prohibit
ton there were issued / Jas permits, be
, ing sixteen more than the whole of las
, year of license and local option" What
particular Significance is there in this
. II would be very strange if people wh'
intended to apply for permits TO run ,
year didn't apply for them in the frs
month and half of that year.
Mr.. Click and his friends considel
pTohibitionists fanatics. They fail to
see that the same charge can be prefer
red against themselves. The conclu
sion TO be drawn from Mr.. Click
words is that prohibition set every 9th
er man in Kansas selling liquor, bu
that license would stop It's sale alto
gether. Now it is true that liquor has
been sold in Kansas ever since the en-
actment of prohibltory legislation
Few are so sanguine as to expect sucl
laws TO suppress entirely its sale. But
il is equally true that less liquor was
sold than before the law was passed
The Kansas farmers have been steady
advocates of prohibition. The sentiment
of the large towns has favored license
In these towns the traffic has never beer
abandoned, owing - the popular
feeling against the enforcement o
the law. Thus at the STATE
Capital, Topeka, the local authorities
were known to sympathize with The
liquor sellers. But where there wert
previously half dozen open bars, thu
influence of the law has substituted
one small and carefully concealed drink
ing place. The election of an Anti Pro
, hibition Governor cannot change tho
, law. 1t is his duty TO see to its enforce
ment, bat his utterances give little rea
son to expect that he will do so. If HI
fails, he sets the people of the State tn
: dangerous example of their chief execu
tIve's neglecling and trampling upor
their laws, and a reaction will ensut
| which will bring representative o
prohibition to the front. Governor-elec
Click should cease his denuncIation o
prohibition and prepare to sustain thu
: law which he will swear to enforce.