Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-07-24

this paper, and show still more en-
phatically the falsity OF the article l
am criticizing. l wish to close with an
article from the pen OF DIR. Murphy III
the Moberly Monitor. ,
EDITOR MONITOR - Your liberal
manne of hearing ''both Sides makes
me the more bold in submitting a few
words on the matter of ''prohibitlon."
Moreover, | feel a certain OF
duty also in the matter.
In your issue of the LIST inst, in aliu-
sion to our neighboring city OF Macon,
touching her refusal to grant further
license to the saloons, you say: "li
prohibition utterly fails to effect its OBJ
ject in Kansas, Iowa." sc.
You will allow one who has been on
the ground, to say that prohibition has
not "utterly failed to effect its object IN
Kansas"
| lived in Fort Scott, which is near
the eastern boundary of the state, and
during a stay of fifteen months l saw
oply two drunken men, and they came
into the place from Missouri, on the
train, one from Lamar and the other
from Nevada. l do not believe III
spreading abroad the evils OF the town
in which l live, but l have seen
drunkenness in Moberly in three mln-
utes, than 1 saw in fifteen In
Fort Scott. No doubt, there was much
OF the evil there which l did not see,
but that is at least one thing winch
prohibition does; it hides the business
ont of the way, and that alone is an
immense success.
The men who defy the law, are
afraid to sell indiscrlminately, and to
an intoxicated man, for the staggering
one will give the seller away. This
again is a success.
Fort Scott is about as large q place
as Moberly, and the prediction was
freely made that the business OF the
place would be crippled, the schools
would be run on half time, Sc The fact
Is, the first schools the city ever had on
full time was the first year after pro-
hibition went into force, and they nave
been running ever since.
They sustain, without any state aid.
a Normal school which will compare
with ours which are supported by the
state. The current expense OF living
in Fort Scott is very little, if any more
than wo-thirds what it is in Moberly.
The fight for the mastery was a terri
BILE one, but the struggle in Kansas is
practically ended, for while some
places, Atchison, Leavenworth, Dodge
City and a few other places, set at de.
iance the law, yet it is only a very
short time hence when the law will
prevail.
The men here who handle whisky
and beer are mainly responsible fol
the prohibition movement. They give
their obligation under the law, not to
sell to minors, nor to the intoxicated
man, nor on the Sabbath, and yet,some'
how, the minor and the intoxicated gel
all they want, and somebody sells it on
the Sabbath. Finally, the sentiment
has grown up, for it is q growth, thai
controlled. There seems to be insub-
ordination IN the saloon, and the peo'
pie say, "since we cannot regulate it
nor control it, we will put it down."
am no fanatic on the question, ]
only speak of it as it is. This idea is
abroad, cit is in the air." 1t comes along
the ground, from republican Iowa, and
from democratic Georgia, from every
where, and there is destiny in the
movement, and the mighty sweep of al
overflow in its power. "How Can il
Succeed?' By the good people, mel
and women of the city, forming them
selves into a committee of the whole
to see that the law is respected. To say
that the "will of the people" cannot be
carried out, is to preach the most fear.
fui doctrine ; the thing which the PEG
pie have voted, which the officers thu
people have placed in position to act fol
them-that their orders cannot be car.
ried out.
Alas, for the day when this is so
Who Is it that defies the law-the PEG.
pies will2 Who makes the operation
Of the law a failure? The law the PEG
pie made?
Let intelligence and wisdom answer
j. D. MURPHY.
Now, Mr.. Editor, 1 believe such rep
reservations as the foregoing, rather
| than those of the article l have quoted
| from and criticized. H. Nj. r.