The Iola register., 1890-10-31
Apneal Of the w. C.r.u.

4 Il
o. K. REPUBLICAN,.
Appeal of the W. C. T. U.
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union cannot be unconcerned in this
campaign, because, whatever may be
brought to the front as an issue, the
real one is the liquor question, and
the fact that this is denied by some
only makes the danger to our cause
the greater. In an open conflict, un-
influenced by saloon money, the re-
suits of bringing this question of pro-
hibition before the people could but
give to us an overwhelming victory,
but an effort to place the State gov
ernment in hands that would nullify
our laws under the plea of benefiting
the laboring classes or the farmers Is
so misleading as to leave results in
doubt
What nominees nozw before the peo-
pie can give us the "best embodiment
of prohibition and most surely protect
our homes?" When the State con-
vention of the Peoples party met in
Topeka, the county convention of the
w. c. II. U. for Shawnee county was
in session in Oakland, and on request
of the State Superintendent of the de-
partment for conference with infiuen-
tial bodies, delegation was sent to
the Peoples convention, bearing a
memorial asking that suitable dec
laration in favor of prohibition and
against resubmission be made by
them, and men whose views accorded
with such declaration be named as
candidates on their ticket. The del
egation was not courteously treated,
the memorial was disregarded, and
a member of the resolutions committee
Indignantly asserted that the delegs-
ton "had come into the wrong pew"
for prohibition. Surely there can be
no place for any who believe in pro-
hibition in this pew. The further fact
that the Democrats and Republican
resubmissionists united upon the Peo-
ple's candidate for Attorney General
shows the unanimity of opinion on the
question of prohibition among the
leaders of these three parties.
The greatest danger to the cause of
prohibition lies in the attempt to cap
ture the law enforcement branch of
the State government.
If a governor is elected who appoints
police commissioners in all our cities
who manage to make the liquor traffic
cover the expense of city government,
greater laxity in enforcing the law
will result. instead of a better enforce
ment. If an attorney general is elect
ed who interprets the State law and
looks to its enforcement in counties,
who does not sympathize with our
prohibitory law, and uses his office
for the purpose of nullifying it, dis
couraging would be the effort to defeat
illegal selling of liquor. If Chief
Justice should be elected who decided
all appeal cases against US, as some
judges have done, can the con-
sequences be measured? If county at
torneys are chosen who fail in their
duty, our work everywhere will be
doubled or fruitless. So we are great
ly interested in this coming election.
And what can we do?
The split in the Republican party is
due to the question of prohibition.
The party would uphold it. A mi
nority were opposed, withdrew and
coaIesced with Democrats to defeat
prohibition. For all practical pur-
poses in this campaign the Republi-
can party Of Kansas is prohibition
party. Whatever questions may di-
vide our district or county tickets, the
nominees for offices which affect law
inforcement on the State ticket should
be sustained; their defeat would be
considered a defeat for prohibition.
Voters should be influenced to pick
out good men, and to freely erase the
names of those who are not consistent
in their support of the prohibitory
law. Especial attention should be
given to the candidates for county at
torney and representative in every
county and representative district.
Mrs. FANNIE II. RAsTALL,
President of the Kansas w. c. T. u,
in Our Messenger.
NT,,, NIrn.-r,