The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-02-08
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.


ALTON AS GIVEN BY JAMES A. TRoUTMAN,
TOPEKA SECRETARY KANSAS STATE TEMPER
ANCE UNION.
On the 4th of December, l mailed series
of questions to every county attorney, county
superintendent, and police judge in the state,
for the purpose of learning the effect and
present status of prohibition. Replies have
been received from over one-third of the six
hundred letters sent out, constituting a full
report form sixty-sx of the eighty-one organ
lied counties of the state, including all the
populous counties. These replies demon
strate three facts favorable to prohibition ::
First. That it has materially decreased the
number of saloons; Seco7ad: That an I'M
usually large per cent. of the prosecutions
under the law, have resulted in convictions !;
THIRD: That the principle of prohibition is
growing stronger.
1t must be borne in mind that these figures
come from the officers of the state, without
reference to their views upon prohibition,
and are therefore not subject to the imputa-
ton of being the product of fanaticism. In
our letters we stated that we wanted the facts,
whether favorable or unfavorable to prohibit
ton. We believe the facts were given, and
that the figures presented are as authentic as
can possibly be obtained.
In these sixty-six counties there were 708
saloons prior to May 1st, 1881, the date that
the prohibitory law took effect. There are
now, in the same territory, 313 saloons
or over half of which, are in Leavenworth ;
leaving but 1853 saloons in the sixty-six coun-
ties, not including Leavenworth Prohibi-
ton, in less than two years, has closed 395
saloons. During this time the population has
increased twelve per cent. If our saloons
had kept pace with the population, we would
now have 1872 saloons; so that in reality
prohibition has prohibited 479 saloons in the
territory named.
Prior to May LIST, 1881, there were saloons
in every one Of these sixty-six counties. To-
day, the 313 saloons in existence are confined
to twenty-five counties, over half the number
being in single county. Prohibition has
therefore absolutely driven the saloons out of
forty-one counties, in which they existed
under license.
"You can't convict the saloon-keepers "
has been so often repeated that many regard
it..as an automatic truth. In the early stages
of prosecutions, it was difficult to convict.
But the reports of the officers who have
charge of this class of cases. show that, as a
general proposition, it is far from the truth.
In the district courts of these counties, there
have been 460 cases tried, resulting in 351
convictions forty-seven acquittals and sixty
two hung juries, or seven convictions out of
every nine cases tried.
In justice courts there have been 572 cases
tried, with 378 convictions, seventy-fye ac-
quittals and fifty mine hung juries, or convic-
tons in three-fourths of all cases tried. In
these cases the fines imposed amounted to
$95, 200. In addition to these fines, there
have been eighty-one saloon-keepers i'm
prisoned, for various periods of time, aggre-
eating 1877 months and nineteen days, or
eleven years, five months and nineteen days.
There has been larger proportion of con-
victions in whiskey cases than in any other
class of cases tried, as reference to the GRIM
inal docket of any court in the state will
prove. There are now pending in the district
courts of the state 218 cases. showing Wig
orous determination to complete the work SO
well begun. r..... -
In fifty-one of these counties, the reports
all agree that the principle of prohibition
is growing stronger with the people. In
seven it is reported weaker, while it remains
the same in eight. This, of course, is a mere
matter of judgment If prohibition can ac-
complish these results in thirty months, who
can say the experiment has failed? Or, how
long it will be until the unyielding sentiment
of loyalty will crush out the 313 struggling
saloons still remaining?