The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-05
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.
What the State Organizers Report as -
the Working of the Prohibitory Law.

third annual meeting of the State Temper
ance Union in session in this city, the State
Organizers submitted reports of their work.
Hon. Albert Griffin, Organizer for the
Southern District, in his report, said that
since the 9th of April last he had visited
/ twenty-eight counties, organized twenty
local unions, and preliminary steps have
I been taken in several other cases. He
stated that when in Dodge City he found
large number of men who were afraid To-
commence proceedings themselves, but who
were exceedingly anxious to have the sa-
looms closed, and a number of Anti-Prohi-
bitionistS agreed with them in expressing
the opinion that if the State authorities
would take the matter in hand, the saloon
keepers would at once close their establish
ments. Mr.. Griffin recited his experience
in Dodge City, his report to the State Offi-
cials and their action. The report goes on
TO say:
As might have been expected. the success
1ul defiance OF the State Government by the
dramsellerS of Dodge CITY. and the refusal OF
the state officers TO so much as lift finger
in self-defense, encouraged other criminals
IN dozen or more places to find out how
far they would be permitted to go in the
same direction, and for short time it looked
as though lawlessnesS was to become gener-
a.. Fortunately, however the discussion of
the matter by the public press so thoroughly
aroused the better element that the tide soon
turned and now the number OF saloons is
again diminishing. At the time of my visit
TO Dodge city it was the only place south of
the Kansas River (which constituted my dis
trictl in which had heard of a saloon; and it
is still. believe, the only one in which there
IS no cOncealment of the traffic.
am glad to be able 10 say that l every
where found the sentiment in favor of Pro-
hbiuOn steadily strengthening. | nowhere
saw or heard of man who favored PrOhibi-
ton year ago who opposes il now: but
saw many and heard of many more who op-
posed it then who favor il now.
The political situation is also rapidly i'm
proving. But little talk is heard about re
submission" Most of the Republican news
papers and politicians that opposed Prohibi-
ton in the past now favor il, or acQuieSce in
II as the settled policy of the State; and
large and increasing number of Democrats
are awakening to the fact that their party
can not longer afford 10 accept the position
of champion and defender of the dram shop
In numerous places where saloons had
been run more or less openly under the Old
statue, the new law is generally admitted to
be decided Improvement; but in some
towns that had no saloons the new law is de-
nounced on account of the viciOuSneSs OF
some scOundrels in the drug stores.
My own Judgment is that as a whole the
ne" law is an immense Improvement on its
predecessor, but experience has shown that
IL needs amendment in several important
particulars The drug store provisions work
badly. There is hardly town in the State
IN which one or more druggists are not viO-
lating the law as persistentlv as if they were
bent on proving that druggists ss a class can
not be trusted with the sale of liquor.
That there is still much to be
done to make prohibition perfect success
and drive the worm Ofthe still from Kansas
soil is undoubtedly true, but, on the whole,
true friends of temperance have already been
made. and the rap dity with which the cause
IS gaining ground is really wonderful.
The report closed with the recOmmenda-
ton that the Legislature make provision
for cOnfining the sale of liquor to State
agents.
DR.. Phillip Krone, Organizer for the
Northern District reported that he had
lectured in his district sixty-three times
since his appointment, but had not
organized a single local uniOn as the field
in this direction is already covered. He
gave his experience in attempting to raise
money. Had not raised as much as he
hoped for, but had done the best he could.
He opposed the sale of liquor by druggists,
and this feature of the law created some
dissatisfaction. While drug stores were not
as bad as saloons, yet it was true that
there are too many druggists who abuse
their rights under the law and who need
more restriction in this respect There is
also a strong sentiment i'm favor of the
Grand Jury system. In his judg-
ment the PrOhibitOry law is the
best and most effective of any PrOhit-
itOry law that was ever enacted by any
Legislature in any State since the begin
ming of the temperance reform in the
United States. Throughout the north half
of ba Sfafa tho IayV with fba or
three or four localities, is as well enforced
as any other criminal law. In his district
there were a few places where liquor was
sold openly ana places where it was sold
clandestinely, that there are many dis
honest druggists, but for all that through
out the north half OF the State there is less
liquor sold and less liquor drank, there is
more SObrlety among the people and more
of a disposition to accept prohibition az
the settled ana unaterable moral and pOlit-
ical policy of this State than ever before.
The report adds:
We have. in our endeavors to create public
sentiment in favor of the law. and IN our ei-
forts to enforce it, many things to contend
with. We baVe many unreasonable and i'm
practicable people on both sides or TINS
question to deal with. We have cOnstitu-
tional fault finders and kickers-people who
are never satisfied with anything or anybody,
who stand OFF and criticise and carp and OBJ
ID.
influence or their money. We have very
large class of impatient and unreasOnably
Jealous people to deal with People
who are not content to bide their time,
who want everything at once; people who do
not seem to realize that refOrmatOry move
ments like leaven. proceed slowly, and can
not be forced with undue haste; We have
some people who underestimate the perplex-
tiles of difficulties surrounding this questoo
and who are unwilling TO accept haf l0a1,
who want the whole loaf or nothing. But
even with all the difficult es and emoarrass-
ments in the way. i affirm that ProhlDitiOn IS
slowly and surely gaining ground, and des-
tined in the future to accom-
plsh for the cause of temperance all
that is possible TO be done by human ef-
fort. To create and educate public sentiment
in favor of Constitutional Prohibition, to Sc
cure whatever legislation was necessary TO
that end. to aid IN the enforcement OF the
law. TO make as many fr ends for, and to win
as many converts to Prohibition as possible.
has been my chief aim and my constant and
unvarying purpose. have never for an in
stant wayered N my devotion to Prohibition
| believe it to be the only right way to deal
with the great evil of intemperance, and
have left nothing undOne that could in rea-
son be done to make Prohibition in Kansas Q
success.
DR.. Krone closed his report by stating
that for Prohibition he had lifted his voice
and contributed his means; had suffered
personal violence, Insult, abuse and mis-
representation, but he had done his duty
and il is his purpose never to give up this
hight until ever saloon in Kansas is closed,
and until whisky selling and whisky drink
ing is thing of the past in Kansas.
A Youthful Murderer.
SALINAS, CAL, October 29.-Yesterday
while number Of small boys
,yaro aDga1ad in frinr ar tar0ot paar tba