Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-16


prohibition? If a saloon can be so easily
transformed into drug store, why don't
all the saloon keepers adopt that course!
If drinking and drunkenness have in.
creased, why are those who profit by drink
ing and drunkenness, and all their allies
and supporters, SO bitterly opposed to pre-
hibition!
The distress of the gentlemen who SO
vehemently argue that prohibition does
prohibit, recalls one of President Lincoln's
quaint stories General Grant was winning
victories in the west, but his success in
spired the usual jealousies and rivalries,
and the president was frequently advised
that Grant was a failure, and urged TO re-
move him. This criticism and fault find
ing continued even after the surrender
of Vicksburg The wiseacres insisted
that Grant had made a fatal mistake
in parolling Pemberton's army, and
argued that the paroled men would In
brief time swell the ranks of other Corfed-
crate armies The president had been pa
tient until then, but when this argument
was made he turned on the critics and with
= sly twinkle asked: Ibid 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 boys in town
who didn't share Sykes opinion
In fact, they regarded Sykes yellow dog
as nuisance. SO they finally fixed up "a
cartridge with a long fuse, put the cart
ridge in a piece of meat, dropped the meat
in the road near Sykes house, and then,
having perchcd 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 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
mournfully regarding it for a amoment,
sorrowfully said "Wcll, l guess he'll
never be much account agin-as a dog.
and added the president, Il guess
Pembertons army will never be much ac-
count again-aS an army Looking at the
fragments of the whisky traffic scattered
over the state, in jails, or seated on store
boxes 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 business in Kansas will never
be much account again-as business
DEMOCRATIC SANDER Or HONORABLE
MEN.
l want to add, too, that in my Judgment
the assertions sometimes made, that the
drug stores of Kansas have all been trans
formed into saloons, are absolutely false
l am acquainted with many of the druggists
OF this state, and know them to be honor
able law respecting, conscientious citizens
who would not only scorn to do an illegal
act for pecuniary profit, out who are far
above and beyond the meanness of selling
liquor as a beverage. There is no class
of business men in the state who stand
higher in the esteem and respect of all
good citizens than do our druggists, and
the attempt en- the part of the Democratic
party and its allies, to degrade their bust
ness to the low level of the saloons, and to |
blacken and stain their reputation as hon
able and law-respecting citizens, is I'M |
speakably outrageous. 1t is true, no doubt, |
that there are men engaged in the drug
business who disagree it by violating the
constitution and laws, and who, for pecu-
mary profit, sell liquors for other than the
excepted purposes of the constitution But |
these men are the exception, and not the
rule among the druggists of Kansas, and |
sooner or later the law will reach and pun
ish them, and drive them out of business |
they degrade. Those, however, who place !
druggists generally in this class, are either
stupid or malicious slaIderers of men who. |
as class are honorable citizens engaged in |
a reputable and legitimate business. The |
sales of liquor for certain purposes are far
larger than most people suppose Alec hol !
is sold for hundreds of mechanical and
uses, strictly within the permits
sion of the constitution, and all varieties of |
liquors are prescribed by
learned and reputable physicians. for med
ical use. The sales for these legitimate
and lawful uses constitute. Il have no doubt.
a very large proportion of the sales made
by the druggists of Kansas, so that the
quantity of intoxicating liquors sold as a
beverage is reduced to a very small amount
and this amout will grow smaller year af-
Ter year.
THE SOBER, LAW RESPECTING STATE.
My fellow citizens, who assert that the
lrug stores have been transformed into Sd
oons, or that drinking and drunkenness
have increased ia Kansas, ought to know
hat they are no. telling the truth There
;as who does not know that drinking and
drunkenness have been enormously dimin
shed in this state during the past five
years. u is no doubt true that liquor is
sold in n.;.ny places. in violation of law.
but no intelligent. truthful man, who
knows what the condition of affairs was six
Dr eight years ago, and is today, will DENY I
hat a great reform has already been ac-
/ ha, oil 81, \ /,
great deal during the past two wears. I
have attended public meetings in a hun
ired different towns and cities
political meetings. soldiers reunions. fairs
md other gatherings, at which from ) 900
o so. 600 people were assembled-and it is
he rarest of thi%gs to see a single person
lnder the influence of liquor | have
heard hundreds of people speak of this re-
fact, and always with satisfac-
ion and pride. Wherever the saloon has
been banished, Observation-Disclosures of all
he drinking and drunkenness prevailing
nave been abolished with it. The social
feature of the drinking habit goes with
he saloon, and this social feature-the
American habit of treating-is responsible
-or nine-tenthS of all the drinking and
in America The loating
place the saloon afforded. with its crowd of
has gone with the saloon The
rad example set before young boys. the al.
urements of good fellowship which tempt
ID so many, the appetite developed and
lurtured by treating-all these have gone
With the saloon. And yet not today or
next year, nor for decade to come. will
III the good results of this abolition of the
aloon he realized The old generation of
thinkers will, many of them. probably con
niue to get liquor in some way-but their
,oys. our boys. all the happy. hopeful.