Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-09-25

slavery crouched behind armed rebellion: ia
| 1886 the saloon crouches behind democratic
notification. The republican party VA
the party of the constitution and the laws In
1861; it is the party of the constitution and
the laws to-day. In 1861 the democratic
party advocated and defended that sum OF
all villainies, human slavery; it is to-day az.
of vice, poverty and crime, the LIQUOR
traffic. The republican party was right in
| 1861; it is right now. In 1865 it made every
man beneath the flag free and equal, and
to-day it is striving to make every home in
Kansas happier home. It has Loyalty and
honestly accepted the solemn duty de-
volved upon it by the peoples verdict against
certain specified purposes, and it intends to
enforce this verdict faithfully and firmly.
TIE GROWTH OF KANSAS SINCE THE PRoH1Bu-
TON LAW TOOK EFFECT.
Our opponents assert, however, that pro-
hibition has damaged the material prosper
| ity of the state.
Where are the evidences to establish this
fact? What is the truth? The prohibition
amendment was adopted in 1880, and the
first lew to enforce it went into effect in
May. 1881. We have had, therefore, more
than five years of actual experience, and
appeal to the facts of the census to answer
the assertion that prohibition mas done in
jury to the material interests of Kansas.
| In 1880 the population of the state was
1864 96. We had been twenty five years in
Attain that population; To-day Kansas
has not less than 1,500, 600 inhabitants. In
five years we have gained half million. In
1880 only ffty-fve towns and cities
mad population exceeding 1000,
and six had each over 5000.
In 1885, ninetyo one towns and cities had
each over LOO? and twelve had each over
5000. In 1885, we had only S,858, 1884 acres
under cultivation; in 1885, we had H. 52. s15
acres. In 1880, the farms of Kansas were
valued at tnly $235, lis, 1886, and the farm
products br that year aggregated only
$S4, 521 ,4eG in 1885 the farms of the state
were VALUED at S40S, 073, 454, and the farm
productsof that year aggregated $143. 577, -
01s. IniSS0 the live stock of Kansas was
worth nly s61, $50, $50; in 1885 it was worth
$117, SO, 699. In 1880 the assessed valuation
OF the property of Kansas, real, personal and
aggregated $24S, s45, 276. In 1850 we had
only ;,104 miles of railway; we have now
5,1l7 miles. In 1880 we had 5,315 school
houes; in 1885 we had 6,673. In 1880 We
expanded 81, SIS, 1856 for the support of our
common schools; in 1885 we expended 3d.
977763. In 1880 we had only 347 newspapers
aut 2,5l4 churches; in 1886 we had 581 news
palers and 3, 1916 churches.
DO these figures prove the assertion Of
those weeping Jeremiahs" who believe, or
affect to believe, that the prosperity and
growth of Kansas depend upon the saloonsi
10 they not, on the contrary, establish the
fct that the growth of Kansas during the
past six years-the six years Of prohibition
has far exceeded any other period of the
states marvellous development?
DOES PROHIBITION PROHIBIT?
Our opponents allege, again, that "prohi-
are simply transformed into drug stores,
and kept on selling liquor as before,
and that drinking and drunkenness have
really increased since the prohibition Law
went into effect. If these assertions are
true, what have they to complain of? II
prohibition does not prohibit, why do the
men who want open saloons, and make
living by making their fellow men drunk,
oppose prohibition. If a saloon can be so
don't all the saloon keepers adopt that
course2 If drinking and drunkenness have
increased, why are those who profit by
drinking and drunkenness, and all their
allies and supporters, so bitterly opposed to
The distress of the gentlemen who 50
vehemently argue that prohibition does
uOI pronlUlt, recalls one OF freSluent
Lincoln's quaint stories. General Grant
was winning victories in the west, but his
success inspired the usual jealcusies and
rivalries, and the president was frequently
advised that Grant was q failure, and
urged to remove him. This criticism and
fault finding continued even after the surren-
der of Vicksburg. The wiseacres insisted
that Grant had made fatal mistake in pa
rolling Pemberton's army, and argued that
hn ra,1I1 hrsa
swell the ranks of other confederate armies.
The president had been patient until then,
but when this argument was made, he turned
on the critics, and, with a sly twinkle,
asked: "Did you ever hear about Bill Sykes
yellow dog?" They said they hadn't. "Well,"
said Mr.. Lincoln, 'Sykes had yellow dog
he sat great store by, but there were lot Of
ion. In fact, they regarded Sykes yellow dog
as nuisance. So they finally fixed up cart
ridge with long fuse, put the cartridge in a
piece of meat, dropped the meat in the road
near Sykes house, and then, having perched
themselves on fence near by, with the end
of the fuse in their hands, whistled for the
dog. When he came out he scented the
meat, and bolted it, cartridge and all. The
boys touched off the fuse, and in
a moment there was an explosion.
Sykes rushed out to see what was the mat
ter, and found the ground covered with
pieces of yellow dog. He picked up the
biggest piece he could find and after
regarding it for moment, sor-
rowfully said: swell, guess he'll never be
much account agin--as dog" 'And," adj
ded the president, II guess Pemberton's az
my will never be much account again-as
an army" Looking at the fragments of
the whisky traffic scattered over the state,
in jails, or seated on storeboxes swearing
that "prohibition doesn't prohibit" or
across the border in Missouri-looking at
these scattered fragments it may fairly be
said that, like Sykes dog, the whisky bust
ness in Kansas will never be much account
again-as business.
SALES OF LIQUOR BY DRUGGISTS.
It is unfortunate that the law does not 70
Quire probate judges to make ret1rns, to
some ttate officer, of the sales of intoxi-
eating liquor reported to them by the drug
gists of the state. In the absence Of such
returns accurate figures cannot, of course,
be furnished. But it is possible to make mp,
from such official reports as are attainable,
q reasonably accurate estimate of the liquor
traffic in Kansas, and this shall endeavof
to do. In one of the Oldest and most popu-
lous counties of this state-a county having
nearly Is, 900 inhabitants, and not q saloon
within its borders-the official returns made
to the probate Judge, for the month Of July
last, show less than ], 800 sales. There are
now ninety three organized counties in the
state. Seventy nine of them have popula-
tions ranging from $500 to 25OOO; and only