The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-29
Ls IT PLAYLNG 0nr,

Prohibition In Kansas Is rapidly
pieylng out The prohibitiohists are
discouraged and INSTRUMENTATION
City Times.
1t the Times really believes what 1t
states In the above sentence IL shows q
degree OF ignorance of the public senti
ment Of Kansas which u Insxcusable.
The simple fact that the Republicans of
Kansas are unwilling to take
the ipse dfrH of few polit-
icsl prohibitionIsts as the rule OF their
conduct is no evidence that prohibition
is rapidly playing out" The Times
seems TO take no wider view of the stu
alton than that because . few Drohlbi.
tionists cannot cOntrol the poll
tics of the state the cause
Is losing ground, when in
fact the opposite to the Times theory is
the best evidence that the prohibition
sentiment Is growing. Prohibition can
not be iliiberal any more than any other
cause can be illiberal and grow. The
light has been TO place prohibition in
the organic Law and on the statute book.
1t Is there, and prohibition can now
reach out for new coDquests. This Is
what 1t Is doing 1t has among its
warm friends In the state more than one
man who isffit for governor, and in each
county It has more adherents than
enough to all the ofieas.
Prohibition was an experiment. 1t is
not now. The good people of all classes
are getting used TO It and the more they
zee OF its workings the more they
like it The point Is reached where
every sober citizen, all of which are nat
uraliy against whisky and It's debesing
influence on society, but many of whom
have been against prohibition because
they did not deem Il the wIsest policy,
are TO be invited 10 take . hand
in upholding the law and In
assisting on enforcing IL. There are
Thousands Of good people who have
been watching the contest who are its
natural friends They must be cotton
into the ranks TO help on the fight.
Their logical position is on the side OF
law. The contest Is between the viola
ton Of law and the ignoring of public
sentiment on the one hand, and the en-
torcement OF law and decency on the
other. In this contest 1t is easy enough
to see where all good citizens must
stand. The progressive prohibition
lists see they must haYe the
help OF ell who have hereto
fore stood aIoof from prohibition be-
cause they did not deem it practicable.
The people honor st. John and Camp
bell and all the others who have been
prominent IN the good work, but these
cannot do all the work now. Other
men must be drawn into the struggle.
The prohibltiOnists are not dIscour-
aged. On the contrary. they are greatly
encouraged. The work is not done yet,
but we honestly believe the law
Is as we'll enforced in proportion
to the number directly affected
by its operation as any law
in the statute book. When whisky has
to sneak into dark corners; into subter.
ranean passages; into the alleys and by
Ways as 1t now has 10 in two.thIrds OF
the towns IN Kansas, while temperance
walks the streets In open day
light and is gaining thousands upon
thousands of victories in the courts every
year, it does not look to US as though
prohibition is rapidly playing out" or
prohibltionists are disheartened. The
Times had better wait till the next Kan
sas legi slsture Is elected before it in
dulges in such loose predictions about
its neighbOr. We apprehend that the
Times will soon see that its lamenta-
tions are uncalled for.