The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-27
PRoH1BIrIoN IN KANSAS.
How 1t Works in the Cities of the State
Political Gossip.

Political Gossip.
J. D. Roots, in Now York Times,
The experience of Kansas is a very interesting
chapter in the history Of prOhibitive legislation.
A prOhibitive constitutional amendment was
adopted more than three years ago, a statute was
enac<d for the enforcement of the amendment,
and the courts decided that the amendment had
been legally adopted, and that the statute was
constitutional. These are the words OF the Kan
sas Constitution:
The manufacture and sale of Intoxicating liquors
shall be forever prohibited in this State, except for
medicinal, scientific, or mechanical purposes.
There are to-day in the little city of Leaven-
worth 149 saloons in which intoxicating liquors
are openly sold, and these saloons are licensed
by the city at the rate of $40 a month for each
dealer. This license fee is collected as "A fine,
imposed once Il month upon dealers who violate
the law, and in this way the dealers, city author
tiles, and courts unite in evading the c%onstltu-
tional provision and the statute. For some
time after the enactment of the
law, liquor-dealers were allowed to sell openly
in Topeka, the capital of the State, under a city
ordinance that imposed a license fee of 5000 upon
those who sold soda water land other drinks
In September, 1882, this ordinance was repealed
and another passed which prescribed penalties
for violation of the law. Then an understand
ing was reached between the city authorities and
the dealers, and each dealer was ARRESTED" once
in two months and fined 500, so that a license
cost $500 a year, and was COLLECTED by the
Police Court judge. At last the county attorney
brought suit against the city to prevent it from
illegally exercising its corporate power, and the
Supreme Court a few days ago rendered Judg-
ment against the city, and emphatically con
demned the course taken by the city officers.
The Prohibitionists got rid of the old mayor, and
under the new one nearly all OF the saloons have
been closed. The Prohibitionists assert that Of
the 70S saloons open in the State when the law
was enacted only 313 continue to do business.
They ask for a rigid enforcement of the law,
and they control the Republican party.
The Republicans made d blunder when they
renominated st. John for Governor in 1882.
S~aloon-keepers, high-license men and the Re
publican anti prohibition minority united TO
beat him. 1t was said that after having
two terms he ought to retire from the
field. But he was put forward on a radi-
cal prohibition platform by a Republican con
vention in which anti prohibitionists were a
very small minority. Click, the Democratic
candidate, ran $4,000 ahead of his ticket, and st.
John $4,000 behind the Republican ticket. st.
John, as the champion of prohibition, was de
feated by the anti -prohibitionists of his own
party, who voted for and elected the remainder
of the Republican ticket. The st. John men
have been talking about nominating Judge
Thatcher, of Lawrence, but it is now probable
that they will allow the conservatives to select
another man. eff Thatcher should be nom
mated" said a leading Republican, .the
anti prohibitionists in the party would
and they might vote for the Democratic
presidential nominee" 1t is very
probable that the Republicans will nominate
Colonel John a. Martin, of Atchison, now secre-
tary of the Republican national committee.
Martin is not Il Prohibitionist," said one who
knows him well, but he is in favor of enforcing
the law which has been enacted. He will poll
the full party vote" Republicans who know
what is going on behind the scenes say that the
Prohibitionists will allow Martin to be nOmi-
mated, and will not insist upon a platform calling
for anything beyond the enforcement of the law.
They will, it is said, devote all their attention to
the election of members of the Legislature. in
order to prevent a submission of the ~constitu-
tional amendment tG the people. 'They will
also M said one of these Republicans. 'to
prevent Senator ~Ingallss reelection, for they
hate him as they hate the evil one Elk
Governor Osborn, now minister to Brazil. will
predicted that he will not return to South
America. He may become a candidate for the
Senate.
Gov. Click, who was elected by the Democrats
and Republican high-license men as an anti pro
hibitionist and opponent of the railroads., and
who is said by prominent Republicans to have
been a good Governor, will probably be reDom-
mated. He will go into the campaign" said a
Democrat, las the advocate of high license and
local option, upon a platform sailing for a resub-
mission of the prohibition amendment to the peo-
pie, and for a more radical and stringent rail
road law. The Greenbackers. who cast q 600
votes for their candidate in 1882, when Click was
elected, may decide not to put up a ticket. If
the coalition in the Second district is successful,
there will be q coalition for the whole State"
That coalition alone, however, cannot carry the
State ticket. With the assistance of anti prohi-
bitiOn Republicans it might again elect a gov
ernor, but the presidential vote of Kansas will
be cast by the Republican electors.