Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-08-29
"The Prohibition Law"

Editor TINES: was amused and enter
tanned by your correspondent OF last
week, on the above topic. His initials
d. L. c. in connection with his opinions.
would indicate that he is a very Young
and tender due. but certain sentiments
and expressions show him to be one OF
our well known citizens, whose capacity
for digesting well-cooked young ducks,
is well known.
Some of our friends statements are pc
culiar at least For instance. thai the
enormous cost is only TO crafty and
| fatter the prosecutors. the unscrupu-
lous and greedy prosecutors" If our
county attorney is gratifed, he must be &
prohibitionist, and everybody knows he
his greed with gold; while in fact the
whiskey and Joint trade have SO thor
| oughly pauperiZed the ''iointists. that
not dollar even of costs can be collected
| from one in ten of them. Sneaking. and
lodging and being disloyal to the law of
this great commonwealth, Kansas; has
destroyed their financial responsibility
| and even their self respect They are al
least as poor as the law abiding people
whom d L. c. twits of their poverty.
Perhaps poorer, if figures and names were
given. But we hope no election of the
| brain has seized them, even if dues fig
ures and argumentst3 indicate palsy
or loco from some cause.
Due says three convicted for contempt
of court. The facts and records show
about ten or twelve convicted on the mer-
its, for violation of the law. He says
these cost $4,000 to 100000 each. The
facts and records show nine convicted
recently, before Justice MoiIett, at an eX-
pense of probably $1,000 or So 90 each.
But of course if it costs something to en-
force q law or punish crime, the ''un-
scrupulous vagabonds' as due calls those
who have been elected to Office; must one
day hold up their hands and swear 10
support and enforce the laws, and the
next day let the horse thief, burglar or
'.jointist' go tree, because Ii would cost
something TO keep the oath and enforce
the law. This is his argument. Prohi-
bition is as glibly pronounced a failure
by due, as if the correctness of his con
illusions on other points (abovel would
| also carry this one without argument.
That sensible and magnificent principal
of social government and political ecOno-
nv. which has gathered into Kansas her
millions of sober, intelligent careful peo-
pie, and Notwithstanding the disasters Of
early years with the grasshoppers and
drouths since, has brought her up to,
and past and way beyond Missouri in
| the race for advancement as q state. is
only -'waif'' to due. Missouri having
all the advantage, too, in time. in iOca-
| ton, in timber. coal. iron and lead. let
| dry and sober Kansas as a state IS leaving
! far in the rear. her sister Of both free
and licenesd wbiskey.
But what use to argue with q man like
| duo, who Gisposes by all argument and
proof, by one pet assertion? Who is act
ually in favor of joints. gambling dens,
| brothels and all. thick. on front street.
| Who don't know that such things waste
the peoples thousands in flush times and
| their hundreds in hard times. That in Il
state prohibiting such things, its dis
grace to Il town or city to have them.
| Who don't know that Topeka is getting
hundreds OF the finest and richest people
in the country, yearly as her citizens, just
because its sober and clean and quite
there Does due want the old midnight
cannopade of June 81 at the old green
front. where long before Julian had been
shot in the back?
Now that hard times are driven from
all but this end of the state, would it
make hard times any easier. If the rail
road men and mail clerks and pensioners
upon whose money the city lives, if they
spent half or all their evenings for saited
beer and drugged whiskey? Does that
pay debts and make prosperity: But W.
give it up. Nothing can penetrate OF
convince ID. L. c.
Respectfully
| J. F.