Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-06
ApRll-Fool,s pAY.

Of the results OF the late session of the
district court we do not know that we are
prepared to speak, but the probabilities are
that the only parties satisfied entirely there
with are the defers of law who failed of
trial and conviction and consequent penal
ties, and their attorneys who were paid to
embarrass the court and to defeat its legiti-
mate processes. Two men were found
guilty Of violating the criminal law, and
each sent to the penitentiary for three years,
but the entire term, else, was taken up In
The trial Of men who boast their violation of
another law equally as binding upon the of.
ficers and court, a. that. The civil docket
was not reached and even half of the whis.
key cases went unheard and undetermined.
The cost to the people of the county aggre.
gated several Thousands Of dollars and emily
five of twenty odd were found guilty, but
the fines OF these nowhere near covered the
expense of the trials. Three more cases
failed OF conviction: one for lack of proper
evidence, another because Of the dangerous
Illness Of juryman's wife, and the third
because one Of the jury would not consent
TO conviction. The others for whom war
rants had been issued, jumped the town.
These costs will have to:be footed by the
people, but this term of court 10 not over
yet and the tax payers, who must foot these
heavy bills, know perfectly well just why,
and how it has all been brought about and
by whom they have been mulcted. II the
think that the property own
ers and business men of this town and coun-
ty are going to submit to such imposition
indefinitely, only that few may rake in an
illegal income, then they are awfuly mista. |
ken. This court has swallowed up more
valuable time and NANCY than the worth Of
Ill the bess6ts, direct ~ indirect, which |
IAN come to the propcrty-holders and tax
payers of this town or county, from whisky, |
or five years. So long as license, in sums
to meet these incidental and extra |
ordinary expenses, were paid, there was lit |
lie said by the average taxpayer, but that /
hey will submit TO the present state of af-
airs is unreasonable to expect; besides,
hey won't do it. The law il on the books,
he officers have all said, under their oath,
hat they would enforce it, and, sooner or
lter, each and every man who is now will
ully deiying the law, every man who has
blocked the wheels of the
curt, will find himself standing up be.
ore Judge Sluss-who knows all the ms and
uts of the entire outrsge-ior sentence,
rhen it will be the turn of those who have
ooted the bills of the LAST months finn tn
ct in their laugh. Sooner or later every
ian who has monkeyed in this buzz-saw
asiness will find himself minus-minus of
honey and in all probability minus of free
ON. 1t is, to us, perfectly inexplicable,
with what temerity, with what
oldness and confidence these men challenge ,
power which can grind them to powder. I
he open saloon, backed or based on a pub. ,
C sentiment which consented to take H. !
,nse money, and thereby become particeps ,
iminis, had something tangible to rest up !
A in the hour Of trouble, but in the alb =
nee of that support it is simply daredevil i
'cklessness TO continue the sale of liquors. q
anybody thinks this radical or fanatical, Z
: that We are any less an anti-prohibitionist I
ian we ever were, we only answer that it :
sense and logic, and II they don't believe Il
let them wait patiently for April FOOLS I
ay, and the events of the next succeeding i
lys in Wichita. II