The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1884-02-07
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
EDITED BY THE VIC. E.U.
Prohibition q Kanlss.

10 he Editor Of The Kansas City Journal;
On the 4th Of December, / mailed {
series Of questions 70 every attorney
county superintendent and poles
Judge in the state, for the purpose o.
learning the effect and present status
Of prohibition. Replies have been re-
ceived from over One-third Of the Cox
Letters sent out, constituting q full ~
port from sixty-siK Of the eighty-oDg
organized counties Of the state, inclu'
ding ala the poPnlouE courhes. Ihesg
replies demonstrate three facts favor
able tOi prohibition
Fint-That it has materially de-
creased the number Of saloons.
Becond-That an unusually large
per cent Of the prosecutions under the
law, have resulted ia convictions.
Third-That the principle Of pro-
hibition IL growing stronger.
It must be borne in mind that
these figures come from officers Of the
state, without reference to their views
upon prohibition, and are therefore
not subject TO the imputHtiOn Of be-
ing the product Of fanaticism. In our
letters we stated that we wanted the
facts, whether favOrnble or nnfavor-
able 10 prohibition. We believe the
facts were given, and that the figures
presented are as authentic Is can pos
sibly be obtained.
In these sixty-six counties there
were 705 saloons prior 10 May 1, 1881,
the date that the prOhititOFy law
took effect. There are now, in the
same territory, 3i3 salOOns-l00 or
over half OF which are IN Leayen-
worth, leaving but l53 saloons In the
sixty-siX counties, not including
IseaVenWorth. Prohibition, In less
than two years, has closed Se5 saloons.
During this time the population has
Increased u per cent II cur saloons
had kept pace with the population,
we would now have TD2 saloons 30
that in reality prohibition has pro-
hiblted 478 saloons 10 the territory
named.
Prior to May, 1, 1881, there were So
looms In every one Of the aiKty-Glx
counties. To-day, the 8l8 saloons On
existence are confined 70 TWENTY-FIVE
counties, over half the number being
IN q single county. Prohibition has
eherefore absolutely driven the e.
looms out Of forty zone counties, IN
which they existed under license.
you can't convict the saloon keep
ersp has been 90 often repeated that
many regard Il as an automatic truth,
In the early stages Of prosecution, e
vas dif7oult T. Convict. BIT the res
port Of the officers who have charge
OF this class Of cases, show that, Cd q
general proposition, Il is far nom the
truth. In the district courts Of these
tried, resulting IN ISL convictions, Al
acquittals and 90 hung juFies, or sew
en- convictions out Of every nine cases
tried.
In justice courts there have been
5T2 cases tried, with S78 convictions,
IS acquittals and So hung iuFies, or
conviction In three-fOurths Of all
C1ses tried. In these cases the fines
imposed amount to S95, 200. In sddi-
ton to these fines, there have been 81
saloon keepers imprisoned, for various
periods OF time, aggreEatlng 1s7
months and 10 days, or II years, B
months and l9 days.
There has been q larger proportion
Of conviction In whisky cares than In
any other class Of cases tired, as ref
erence to the criminal docket Of any
court In the state will prove. There
are now pending IN the district courts
Of the state Us cases, showing . Wig.
orOus determination 70 complete the
work 20 well begun,
In ffty-one Of these counties, the
reports all agree that the principle Of
prohibition i growing stronger with
the people. In seven i IN reported
weaker, while Il remains the same 10
eight. This, Of course, IL q mere mat
ter Of judgment. If prohibition can
accomplish these results In twenty
months, who can say the experiment
has failed? Or, how long Will u be
until the unyieldiug sentiment OF 10y
atty will crush out the Sl8 struggling
saloons still Funning2