, 1889-08-15

and necessarily discriminating but must
be rcscrted to as means to secure the
ordinary expenses of city government
and the increased expense made neces-
sary to keep in check and restrain those
who daily violate the law.
There Is another serious objection,
which has developed since the adoption
of the amendment and the passage OF
the law In furthcranCc thereof. In every
political contest, municipal and state,
since 1850, the drink" question has
been an important and in many in
stances the controlling factor Thc
communities are in q constant turmoil
and agitation over the subject. II an
election Is not peuding TO stir up the
people, "the attorney general is expect
ed next week TO begin prosecutions
against those who are violating the pro
hibitory law The citilens become eN-
cited, They do but little business,
Joint keepers, "troubadours and mound
builders close UP their daily hauntS
temporarily and "fice from the wrath
TO come Aflera short vacation nom
their atiuous and mover ccasing laborS
they return refreshed and reinvigorated
and the work goes bravely on, It's
UNFORTUNATE FOR THE LAW
that any question concerning It was ever
permitted to get into politics. The
Democratic party at first in effect advo'
Gated notification. This was undemo-
cratic and IL receded from this position
and has since declared for the enforce.
inent OF the law and re-submission OF
the question: AS soon as the Repub.
lican party took up the question and
endorsed II as party measure, the
pioneers in the cause of prohibition IN
that party were relegated to the rear and
a great host of political demagogucs
came forward to advocate that which
x,faa ltal. Ia.
llCan party became committed TO prohi-
b!tion through the efforts OF Governor
st. John, and those who to-day are the
most earnest advocates of the principle
We're then loudest and most bitter in
their dcnunCiatiou of this apostle of
temperance.
NOT A PARTISAN cAMPAIoN.
The issue upon which st. John made
the race was prohiDitiOn-as opposed to
him it was notification aud resubmis.
sion--St. John was defeated.
The result of the campaign in 1884
does not afford any criterion from which
can be formed any. correct idea OF the
sentiment then existing on the subject
of prohibition II Is true that the re
publicans again indorsed prohibition,
while the democrats denounced it and
declared for high license The demo-
cratic party was not united i'll that con-
test, Many republicans voted for
Governor Click in 1882 upon the
erroneous idea that his election
meant resubmission, and in 1851 they
saw that he had utterly failed 10 i'm
press thc.lcgislature with his convictions
upon the subject of resubmission and
generally voted their. party ticket. Gov
crnor Martin was then regarded as II
very strong prohibitionist- While he
opposed st. John in the convention of
lsS2, az the time he was nominated in
1884 he had become a convert to the
teachings of st. John on the subject of
prohibition, but was not SO pronounced
in his views of to antugonize or ALLEVIATE
either wing of his party. His election
was in no sense a triumph for prohibit
ton or any indication that public seuti-
mcnt was in favor of the law. In each
state campaign since lSS4 each of the two
great political parties has, in effect, de-
clared for the enforcement of the law.
The government machinery, state,
county and municipal has been under
the control of the dominant party, thor
oughly
COMMITTED To PROHIBITION
and the enforcement of the law, and yet,
nearly ten years having passed, we find
ourselves face to face with the fact that
the law is unblushingly violated and
Wholly Intellectual to suppress the liquor
traffic. Why is this? II is not because
the principle prohibition Is inherently
wrong, for every law of "a penal nature Is
more or less a prohibitory law. It is
not because there are no evils resulting
from intemperance, for we meet with
them daily. 1t is not because mankind
would not be benefited 10y contining the
traffic in intoNicants to the excepted
purposes, for il certainly would.
1t Is because there is not public sen.
timent back of the law strong enough TO
demand and secure its enforcement. 4
law TO be effective must be the reflection
of public opinion which sustains and
supports 1t. The fugitive slave law of
1850 was failure because the Northern
people reyolted NJ the brutality of its
proyisious, and the courts We're power.
fpss To- enforce it. So with the present
prohibitory law. The courts are power.
less To suppress the traffic because there
are so many opposed 10 the principle of
liquor prohibition and who Believe that
it Is - subversion of the power of re-
publican form of government and who
will aid and abet its violation, and the
most ardent prohibitiouist frankly ad.
mitS that the law, 'unless sustained by
AN intelligent and enlightened public
opinion, hindcrs, rather than promotes
the cause of human progress.
The railroads and express companies
are doing large business In the
or BEER And WHISKY
from other states into Kansas. An ex-
of the records will show that
thousands of barrels of whisky and cases
of beer are daily shipped into Kansas,
to cities and towns through
out the entire state. The state law,
however, restrictive in its provisions,
cannot reach the character of traffic. Ii
Is interstate commerce and can only be
or prevented by an act of con-
gress. And il is safe 10 say hat large
per cent of the business of the wholesale
liquor dealers in St. Joseph and Kansas
City is done with the cities and towns of
Kansas.
Travel through the state on any line
of railroad, and you will seldom fail To
soc at the dcpots of every important sta
tion large piles of beer kegs; the traffic,
however, is not confined to interstate
shipments. From one city in Kansas
there was shipped to- various interior
towns during the first six months of1SS0
over three thousand cases of beer, ale
and whisky. What became of this
great quantity OF intoNicants? =? 1t can
not bc that il Is all for medicinal, me
chanical and scientific purposes The
fact is, and cannot be successfully con-
troverted, that it is resold in
VIOLATION OF THE LAW.
Senator ingalls, never uttered q greater
truth than when he said that malaria,
indigestion and other disorders have de
vcloped IN Localities previously consid-
cred s0lubrlous,' etc, and notwithstand-
ing u law has been passed, "the penalties
for the violation of which are ingenious.
~ rigid and have not been exceeded for
severity since the Code off Grace" il Is
easily evaded and great quantities of
,,HI. i..,l. 4