Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-02-26
Whisky in Kansas.

TOPEKA, Kan, Feb. l2.-IIaving just
picked up the Atchison Champion l
notice an extract from the Gazette, in
which it is stated that a gentleman
from Topeka reports that whisky, wine
and beer were never more plentiful
at the Kansas capital than now. l also
observe that a writer in the Champion
says that the Gazette's informant is no
gentleman, but is an elaborate and pic
turesque liar. OF course it is not gem
tlemanly To call a gentleman liar, but
there are timeS-and perhaps this is
one of those times-when it is proper to
call lara liar.
i have lived in Kansas about twenty
years. l have seen her climb starward
and bloom and blossom as the rose,
with grogshOps in every valley and
upon every hill. l have seen her states
men inspired with the nectar of the
gods, sometimes known as Kentucky
sour mash. i have seen her metamor-
phosed from land of liberty and de-
light into another Eden. where other
Adams and other Ewes dispOrt in cir
pristine simplicity. l have seen her
grogshops knocked into cooked hats.
and innumersble drug stores dot her
plains and hillsides. Id astra per aspera
presto, change.
But, cooling off, as it were, | desire
to emphatically cOrroborate your in
| formant's report, and to say, that I'M
adulterated grog. whisky, wine and
beer was never more plentiful in Kan
sas and Topeka than 1t is to-day. |
may he liar, and not gentleman: but
any scribling crank who denies your in
f0rman;'s statement ard mine, is also a
liar-and mark it down
Observe, if you please, how the picus
refOrmers of Kansas flippantly and
unctuOusly eXclaim that the 'sopen''
saloon is gonel---and gone to stay! The
angels must blush when they hear-if
they are near enough to hear-the
equivocal and hvpocritical shouti 1.-The
open saloon is gone!'' Notice the preg-
nant meaning of the word-open. And
yet the stumbling tumble-bugs of re-
form have not had sense enough to drop
that ominous word from their exclama-
tons of virtuous delIghtl Open salOonsl
Even at this distance 1 can hear the
MissOurians laugh! Open saloon!
! The drug traffic in liquors, together
with what is imported by individuals
Tor private use, and including a vast
clandestine traffic, is just as extensive
in Kansas to-day as when it was ''rec-
ognized' and sanctioned by the living
letter of the law. There are drug stores
IN Topeka where choice statesmen and
select dudes, deacons and pious gen
tlemen" can step in and get their
drains, as they were wont TO do in the
days of the open saloon. The streets.
alleys, byways and highways are strewn
with bottles; also, back stairs. halls.
areas and the entire public domain
from Missouri to Colorado.
Where once the roses bloomed and blossomed
The bottle now doth lay;
And I'm this bleeding commonwealth
The grog shops gone to stay
The ancient democracy. with its de.
canters and demijOhns, becomes q
model of human genius, when compared
with the dominant repnblicanism Of
Kansas to-day. Prohibition in thi.
state is living lie. sickly abortion. a
contemplate political expedient anc
moral heresy. And while you are think
ing the matter over don't you forget it
sickly sentlmcntality, lugubrious gusl
and dlwnright lying constitute the Do
litical stock in trade of the blind, per
verse, intolerant prohibition liars o.
Kansas Ii l had the hand of Proyi
dence would give them paint
am. my dear sir, with blood in M
eye. affectionately yours,
LINUS S. WEBB.