The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-08-30

hota sPeahinS aSdluSt C~OnSLlLullOnal
prohibition.
The Financial EGect OF Prohibition.
The dissatisfaction of many citizens
Of Kansas with the results of the prohi.
tory law, has been stimulated by the de-
feat of the liquor prohibition in the
east, and the agitation for the repeal of
the law bids far to become serious. The
problem before the Kansas resubmission-
lists is TO convince the people in the
small country towns of the failure of the
law. In the cities and Jaeger towns that
failure is obvious, and there the bad
effect of the policy of prohibition upon
business and the general prosperity of
the community is marked. To the citi-
zens of a young and ambitious state like
Kansas the financial argument may
seem fully as strong as the moral argu-
ment against prohibition. Grant that
the law is successfully enforced in some
places and d dead letter in others, and 1t
may be said that the good aud the bad
balance each ether and that what re-
mains to be done is not to repeal the law
but to renew and increase the effort to
enforce II. So much the prohibitionists
may be justified in saying. and as the
way of the Prohibitionists is. in Kansas,
as in Maine, to demand more stringent
and severe statutes and pen alties, they
may answer the call for repeal by one for
more prohibition. Blu. if anywhere the
prohibitory law has injured trade or de-
creased the value of property, the PEG
pie of that community will not listen to
any arguments in favor Of the continue
ton of the policy which is pinching
their pockets. Men may be slow IN rec
ognizing the moral features of a question
or in admitting the facts that initiate
against their opinions or preoonceptions,
but they are mighty quick in finding out
what makes their pocketbooks meagre.
The Importance of tho financial side
of this prohibition question has not
escaped the Kansas and antl-prohibition-
lists, and they are taking some interest
ing testimony. We find in the Kansas
City Times aud the st. Joseph Gazette
-curiously enough Missouri seem. to be
the herald of liberty to bleeding Kansas
the first iustallment of it. ltrelates TO
the city of Atkinson. An Atkinson
correspondent of the Times gives a cur
ious picture of the tribulations brought
into thai town by the prohibitor v law:
During the last five years scores Of good bust.
ness men and many citizens nave left the city,
leaving hundreds of dwellings and business
houses standing empty, aud representative men
OF Atkinson have no h~esitancy in attributinx
this state of affairs to prohibition. The people
are not satisfied with the prohibitory law be-
cause an extensive liquor business is carried on
lnopan violation Of ths law and no revenue is
derived theretro.n by the city. In the year 1854
the open saloons were closed under u prohib;-
tory law and the county paid several thoumnd
dollars costs in having the law enforced. The
year before. tho revenue derived by the city
from tile open saloons was $1l,2O, which went
INTO the treasury to be expended in a manner
that would be bsneiclalt to tho bout interests OF
the city.
After the enforcement of the prohibitory Law,
80 far as the open saloons were concerned, the
JOINT came into existence and liquor has been
sold daily ever since in large Qusntities, and
the city deriving no benefit, with the exception
OF regular hp*s paid INTO the police courts by
~iointists. The bitter hatred between citizens of
different political beliefs, that originated at the
commencement of the prohibition fight in this
city has never died out. The enemies Of i've
years ago are enomies to-day, and this one
thing has caused 80 much discomfort and ditsatis-
faction that people have lost confidence in each
other. A number of Atchinsou gentlemen re-
Gently organized the Midland Trust Company, of
Kansas City. Why did you not keep the insti-
tuition in AtchinsonI' was asked yesterday of
one 1.-THE officers of the company. He replied,
"ltwould not pay to do it. The people have no
confidence in each other and where that state Of
affairs exists business will not prosper"
The business men of the town tell the
same doleful story. A manufacturer
says thai prohibition has damaged At
Crimson more than s2, 000, 900 in the last
five years. A dry goods merchant de-
elares that prohibition has nearly killed
the town. A real estate dealer thinks
that prohibition has injured the tow n
more than anything else. A firm Of
wholesale druggists estimates It's loss
from that cause at 800, 600 a year. The
cashier of a bank says that prohibition
has vacated hundreds Of houses in that
city. reduced rents and been very detri-
mental to the business interests of At
Crimson" The president Of the same
bauk believes that prohibition is the
great financial curse Of Kansas. A physi-
clan says that prohibition has eaten in
TO the vitals of the town and she is now
bankrupt" A California hardware
dealer, visiting Atchinson, AYERS tina
more people move into his state from
Iowa and Kansas than any other states
A large real estate owner knows that bro.
hibition has reduced rents 25 per cent.
and greatly increased taxes. A man who
has Just returned from a trip through
Texas contrasts the prosperous state of
business there with the state of business
in Kansas. A former mayor feels sure
that just as much liquor is sold in Kan
sas o as before. while the revenue is
lost. OF the hundreds of men whom the
Atkinson correspondent of the St.
Joseph Gazette questioned not one in
ten favored prohibition, il enforced, and
only one man admired 1t in its present
form.
If prohibition has had the same bsd
effect in other towns thati seems to have
had in Atkinson its end must be at
hand.-NeW York Sun.