Wichita eagle., 1889-08-29
THE PRoR1B1r1oRY AMENDMENT.
On the People, it General In
surrection or Local Irritation?
View By a Private
Citizen
To the Editor OF the Kansas City Gazette:

,
question of prohibition, it is appropriate
that some of the laymen express view.
Not being dependent on any party, or
coalition for support, we are Indifferent
to fame, and put forth our ideas rather
than name to attract attention, praise or
condemnation.
Our opinion Of the present state Of
domestic affairs has nought to do with
THE ISSUE
attempted to be forced on the people,
therefore we give reason for the settled
belief. IN our mind, that things as they
now are will exist for time at least.
Having voted against the law, and for
the standard bearer who met defeat in
that campaign, tits unnecessary to state
our views as to the wisdom or folly OF
this class of legislation.
The class is, not what one or two men,
or fifty men think of the present policy.
Is there an issue or IS it what is known as
''LOCAL IRRITATION"
Is it deep seated, chronic, contagious,
epidemicai, widespread, generic, univer-
sal, or is it only political malaria super
induced by pique, spite, Disappointment,
low rents, probable local high taxation,
and general iaundiced condition OF
community afflicted with a metropolitan
police and fevered by the unhealthy air
of the .'Calcuttian holes" inhabited by
the ''jointists.'
WHAT SOME PEOPLE DESIRE
is no evidence of universal desire, unless
we know their education, inclinations,
habits, means Of observation, motive,
and character. These given we may
fairly judge of the universally of an
idea, and the probabilities OF its success.
DECLARATION
is not argument, assertions are not proof,
and the purely selfish appeal to voters on
account of taxation does not commend
itself to the intelligence of ali voters.
Americans do not measure the cost OF
true liberty, education, religion or NOR
atty by the pocketbook or the assess
mcnt roll, but by the probable results to
be reached by the final accomplishment
Of a design. hence in our judgment,
much as we may deplore it, there is
question OF right and wrong, of general
sobriety, not specific temperance, at
issue, and question Of what, for want
OF better name, we may designate
CONSCIENCE
involved in this issue, or alleged Issue.
Without desiring to provoke discus
sion we assert that the moral sense of
Kansas will not be stupetied and become
benumbed by a question of taxation
alone, nor will bright picture of wealth,
to flow from the liquor traffic, commend
itself to the voter who deposits influence
with his ballot.
THERE ARE SILENT MEN,
unobtrusive thinkers in every county in
Kansas whose vote carries with it hun
dreds. There are those whose noise like
a gong or dinner bell collect crowd,
whose vote is only one.
Before the old editice is demolished
men will want to see the plans, specifi
cations ard elevations of the one to be
substituted. What assurance have we
that the people who do not live in cities
are dissatisfied with the present law?
Let it be conceded that the cities, and
the people of the counties in which the
cities are situated, favor resubmissiOn,
this only proves a claim to the prohibl-
tionists ''that the cities cause the
bother" The country voter, whether he
knows it or not, is measurably moulded
| by the public sentiment of his city.
Conceding the cities to be resubmission-
lists does not prove that the sparsely set
tied communities, small cities and towns
are opposed to the present condition of
| things.
We are gravely informed that we have
lost a million of emigrants because of
this law: hence we may honestly con-
clude that the voters who are part and
parcel of the million who have moved
from other states to Kansas since 1880,
were either favorable to this law or in
different to 1T. e., they came to make
homes here with the knowledge that
Kansas had become prohibition state,
with all that prohibition fairly implies.
We may assume that a large per cent
came because of the law. a larger per
cent. Indifferent to the law, came to
make money. and we may assume that
no man came here to repeal the law, and
taking into consideration the growing
sentiment on a revision of federal stat
utes regarding foreign immigration, it
NAV well be doubted if we lost much in
being deprived of a citizen who turned
aside from the broad and fertile prairies
of Kansas and breasted the billiards. of
Dakota, being moved thereunto 10y de-
sire to have free beer rather than the de-
coction of the ''jolntist.
Whether our loss is DakOtaS gain:
whether the damage is irreparable, only
time can demonstrate, and future ages
disclose. when the politics Of the two are
distilled in the alembic of the statesmen
and historians for the benefit of man
kind.
Personally we doubt the worth of the
citizen who consults his palate and hui
mors his stomach in the selection of a
home, rather than consult MS general
comfort and worldly prosperity; and
though our opinion may be worthless. we
also doubt the sincerity and honesty of
man who urges the repeal of prohibi
ton to induce immigration that now
shuns us, with all our material advanta-
ges. simply because we have outlawed
the liquor traffic.
The last eight years have been remark
ably prosperous, so prosperous indeed
that the campaign cry that
PROHIBITION
would iepopulate the state proved to be,
not a miscarriage or an abortion, but a
false conception.
The writer hereof honestly believed
that prohibition would bring ruin, dias-
/ Ter. insolvency. if not fratricidal strife
and civil revolution; but he sees that
( but one evil predicted came 10 pass. VIZ. ::
the local strife amongst men, and the
most of this is amongst a class of politI-
/ clans and people who do not form pub
{ lie opinion or healthy moral sentiment.
! 1t is true that if we had this law re-
pealed every vacant room III Kansas
/ would be occupied and we would pre-
sent a thrifty. business-like appearance:
. l,,,s 4 1892 a b1i