Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-19


ably condensed by our opponent. 1t
has been our endeavor to give to our
readers our own ideas on the matter,
as gathered from all sources.
We believe that the best argu-
ment we could make was the
pointing to the situation as existing
in our state; a situation of which all
our readers are cognizant, and one
which none of us desire to see contin-
ued. Looking over the history of pro-
hibition in Kansas all must admit, II
they be honest, that it has not prohib-
tied; and if it is law that is not and
cannot be enforced, then. as a method
of controlling the whiskey power it is a
farce. Since the beginning OF these
arguments the supreme court has
plainly taken the stand that anti-pro-
bibitionists have held all along: that
the law is not just one, nor in con-
formity with the laws that govern our
land. How then can such method
be the best for controlling the evils OF
the liquor traffic? In addition to this,
other courts have since decided the
same way, knowing that the very
highest authority meets with the
approval of the great mass of Ameri-
can people.
In his letter No. 5, Mr.. Miller essays
to make prohibition argument out of
the purported sayings and writings
of numerous liquor dealers and manu-
features, but does not tell us where he
got his Testimony" How is that,
"Pumpkinvine,' did all those liquor
dealers write to you, and give in all
that testimony to you for the purpose
of your argument2 Or did you get the
whole business from the same authority
drawn from before? Methinks I hear
a ''still, small Voice. prompting that
argument also.
Yes, prohibition has been effectual in
crushing out the manufacturing OF
liquor in Kansas. We have made no
argument to the contrary. But that
forcing of a manufacturing business
from the borders of our state has not
the crime of intemperance,
any more than the success of the Union
armies in the rebellion lessened the
crime of secession or the horrors of
war. Prohibition has driven the man
ufacturers Of liquors from Kansas; but
it has brought instead the jointist, the
dealer in original packages, the prac-
tice which fosters perjury and many
things fully as despicable as uncon-
trolled liquor selling. 1t has resulted
in the law being so fully tested that,
according to the arguments of the pro-
lin which however, we do
not concur), even a license law will not
hold good. Would the original pack
age decision ever have been brought
out had it not been for the strict pro-
hibition laws of few states? You
may f1atter yourself that the congress
of the United States will pass such leg
islation as will give the states rights
to make laws that conflict with the
general laws of the Union-but they
never will. The Estates Rights" ques-
ton is forever settled, and you ought
TO know it as well as any one.
We must say, Friend Miller, that we
are thankful this discussion will not
continue much longer, for this reason,
that all people who keep posted ON the
current events of the day we'll know
that prohibition is dead letter, and
no argument is necessary to prove it.
Besides there are other questions now
before the people of Kansas of much
more Importance, and questions that
you and and all our readers are more
deeply interested in than that of pro-
hibition.