The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-31

the country. contributed literally to defeat
lfs practical operation.
ID 1882 the Republican State convention
renop.nated Governor St. John, who had
been the special champion of temperance.
Tor a third term, upon platform indorsing
prohibition while the Democrats demand
ed re-submi ssion. The campaign was pas
sionate in the extreme. St. John was de-
defeated, but the rest of the Republican
ticket Was elected by the usual majorities
for an off year. In 1854 the Republicans
again Endorsed prohibition, while the Dem
ocrats denounced 1T and declared for high
license. The latter party Senominated Gov.
Click, who had been successful III the pre-
y,ous canvass: but he was defeated by
about SS,0e0 In November. of that year,
the supreme Court of the United States
sustained the prolibitory law. and in April.
1881, upon appeal, held that the power of
the State was .complete, and that the
amendment and the statutes pursuant
thereto We're not III violation of the Consti-
tuition OF the United States This ended
the contest. and the triumph OF prohibition
was complete. Kansas has abolished the
saloon. The open dramshop traffic rs as ex-
tlnct as the sale of indulgences. "A drunk
ard Is phenomenon. The barkeeper has
lolneo the troubadour,, the crusader and
| the mound-builder The brewery, the dis
tillery and the bonded warehouse are
known only to the archaologist
| CiVliization breaks upon the frontier IN
turbulent and lawless surf of humanity. to
whose existence alcohol, in some form,
| seems Indispensable. and to those who can
recall the pioneer period of the State, it
seems Incredible that among a population
OF 100000 people, extending from the Mis-
| souri, river to Colorado. and from Nebraska
| to Oklahoma. there Is not place where the
| thirsty or hilarious wayfarer can enter
and, laying down coin, demand his glass
of beer. This does not imply that absolute
| drought prevailse very where, or that social
| irrigation" has entirely disappeared. In
the few localities where public opinion does
! not sustain the law 1t is habitua lily and
L. Id
that Graves indulgence is gratiiied at the
| sacrifice of those moral restraints which
| are the barriers and safeguards of society.
| Sales for the specified purposes are con-
with the stringent provisions of the '"'phar-
macy act" the penalties for the violation
of which are ingeniously rigid, and have
| not been exceeded for severity since the
scriptions, afiidavits and signatures
| for the identification of the pur-
| chaser and specification of the disease
for which he needs the pernicious fluid are
required, and evaslOns are punished with
| fne forfeiture and imprisonment. The
| sale Of bitters, elixirs and other concoc-
| lions containing alcohol has undoubtedly
| increased. Malaria, indigestion and other
disorders have developed in localities pre-
! viously considered salubrious, and there is
| probably no town of 900 inha bitants where
| bibulOus. but discreet, inquirer. III prop
! erly vOuched for, cannot find at his hotel
or the club. or in the cellar of a friend. a
| bottle of beer OF flask of whisky. But the
habit of drinking is dying out. Temptation
| being removed from the young and the in
firm, they have been fortified and redeemed.
The hquOr-seller, peing prescribed. is an
| outlaw and his vocation is disreputable.
| Drinking, being stigmatized, is out of fash
ion, and the consumption of intoxicants has
| enormously decreased. Intelligent and
| conservative observers estima tie the reduc-
| ton at 80 per cent; it cannot be less than
20. The increase i'll the number of internal
revenue stamps sold by the collector from
year to year is explained by the fact that
they are required by all druggists and
many of them are repetItiOns and renewals
| for short terms. The places where liquors
| are sold, legally and illegally. have been
reduced from one for every GA of the entire
| population III 1850. to one for every :, 220 in
Since the adoption of the amendment
at each of them the people have repeated
| their adhesion to the principle by the cleo
ton of Legislatures pledged To prohibition.
The result IS generally accepted as an ac-
| cOmplished fact. Hostility has practically
been subdued. Prohibition prohibits. The
| prediction of its opponents has not been
| verified; immigration has not been repealed,
nor has capital been diverted from tho
| State. The period has been one of unex-
ampled growth and Development. Whether
l. post hoe or propter hoe, coincidence or
| cause, is not material. The evils prophesied
| have not come to pass.
! One Of the most significant and extraordi-
nary results is the diminution of crime in
| the State. At the January term of the dis
| trict court or the county in which the CAPT.
| tai is situated, there was not a single Grim
| inal cause on the docket. Many city and
| county prisons were without a tenant. The
number and percentage of the convicts in
the State penitentiary have been re-
lso the aP prsoners 0R not f Dclud
ing those of the United States,
numbered 21S, one for every 1.61 inhab-
itants; at the same date in 1915 they NUM-
| bered 49, or one to every 1.214 inhabitants.
In 1880 the number was 633. or one to every
1,573 inhabitants; in 1885 il was 673. or ono
to every 1855 inhabitants; on Jan. I,
1889, it was Sol, or one TO every 1921 inhab-
itants. On Jan. l, 1887. there were S95
State prisoners in the penitentiary; on Jan.
/, 1888, there were S9S. and in the fol-
lowing year there was reduction of 81 in
number: although the population of the
State had largely increased.
In the various prisons throughout the
United States about 10000 criminals are
serving sentences for felonies. being about
one prisoner for every 900 inhabitants; the
same ratio In Kansas would give total of
1851. which is so per cent. more than the
number actually confined. In the United
States at large there Is one pauper TO $50 in
habitants; carefully compiled statistics
show that Kansas has but one to about
1900 of its population.
The representations of disaster so freely
expressed at the outset have all been mega
/ UlVeu LOcdi disturbances were lntNlIdOlts
but in most instances the readiustment has
already occurred. The gain in population
since 1880 has not been less than 100000.
This has been distributed, partially
among the cities and towns. but moro
largely over an area previously not inhab-
tied, comprising not less than one-fourth
of the surface of the State. The amount Of
agricultural products and live stock. the
assessed value of property, the mileage OF
| railroads. the number of cultivated farms,
| of newspapers, of scho0l-houses, of church,
es, have proportionately increased. making
the history of the colonization of Kansas a
marvel.
One of the lessons of experience seems to
| be that it is mistake to wage war equally
| against moderate drinkers and confirmed
| drunkards. There is possibility that the
| man who takes glass of wine at dinner
may end in an asylum or the gutter, but it
| is an error to include both classes In vhe
same category. Legislation that interferes
with the moral activity and personal re-
| sponsibility of man is defective. So long 3
the citizen does not injure himself or 9TH
ers any just system of government will let
| him alone. The State has power, and it is
its duty TO enact laws for the protection Of
life and health. and to guard against vice
and immortality, but unless they are sus,
tanned by an intelligent and enlightened
public opinion they hinder rather than pro-
mote the cause of human progress.
The American people have determined to