The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-06
Liquor Convictions.

The liquor convictions in the District
Court which is now i'll session number
eight. and the fines inflicted by Judge
NICHOLSON aggregate about $4,000.
How much of this sum will be paid is
not vet known. but it shall be the duty
of the REFLECTOR to find out. 1t shall
also be the duty of this paper to find
out as near as possible the amount of
money which these trials have cost the
county. The taxpayers of the county
certainly have the right and they expect
to be made acquainted with these facts.
Besides the fines and imprisonment
which Judge NICHOLSON inflicted upon
the violators of the law, he ordered that
several defendants should give heavy
bond as pledge that they would not
engage in the liquor business for pc
ride of two years. This provision is as
practical way to enforce the law as can
be arrived at under the circumstances,
and if the precedent the Judge has set
is not sufficient to close the saloons,
then the law is, indeed, a failure.
But have the saloons i'll this county
been closed for good? This is fair
question, and i'll further remarks the
REFLECTORwantSi its prohibition friends
to understand that its opinions are hon
est. For prOhibitiOnists to deny the
right to discuss this question from 9TH
er than their own standpoint, is to evil
dence the greatest fanaticism and the
narrowest prejudice. The REFLECTOR
is Just as anxious to arrive at practi-
cal solution of the liquor question as
any one can be.
Well, then, how many citizens of the
county really expect that the saloons
will remain closed for any length of
TIME? At Wichita, where they have an
enforcing Judge. if the term is admisSa-
bic, and where saloons are supposed to
be effectually closed, there are open sa-
looms: The Beacon says: Counting
''open front doors and open back doors,
there are said to be from twelve to fiji
''teen saloons running, and beer is
= 'jerked' right over the counter in ODE
dience to the popular demand"
The situation at Topeka is significant
ly portrayed by the Commonwealth:
1T is popular just now to say that
prohibition prohibits i'll Topeka and
elsewhere. To deny this is to be pill
loried as the organ of viOlatOrs of law.
To state the truth is to be denounced.
To lie and miSrepreSent is to be petted
and praised. But we forbear. We sup
pose we have got to go through the ex-
perience that other communities have,
and we have made up our mind to let
it pass. To state the truth about af-
fairs in this state. and particularly in
Topeka, would be to bring down upon
our head from one end of the state to
the other vituperatiOn, Shiny and OPP
probious epithets without end. We
don't care for it. and hold our tongue. -
At Emporia the saloons are open, and
at AtchisOn and LeavenwOrth liquor is
just as easy to get as it ever was. And
all this in spite of the strictest efforts
to enforce the law. The same condi-
ton of things holds good all over the
state. Saloons may be closed for a
time. but whisky and beer are sold and
drank in quantities not diminished by
the closing of the saloons.
viii Abilene be more favored in this
matter than other cities in the state?
Will the saloons be effectually closed?
Are they closed now? And if they are
closed and remain closed, will there be
a less amount of liquor drank, and less
drunkenness? These questions are fair
and legitimate, Can any prohibition
list answer them in the Affirmative?
In short time the questions win ans
swer themselves, and the REFLECTOR
sincerely hopes that Judge NICHOLSON
and its prohibition friends will succeed
in stopping or reducing the sale of Ii
quor in Abilene and Dickinson county
better than the same principle in other
persons has succeeded in other places.