Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

saloons prevail. They are not men
who keep supplies of stimulating fluids
in their cellars and sideboards. and
preach prohibition for the benefit of
the other fellows. They are sober,
industrious and enterprising men rep
resenting all departments of business
enterprise. They are not resubmiss-
ionists from mercenary motives, or be-
cause they believe it good policy for
any class OF people to patronize the
saloon. They are largely men who
would personally discourage such
patronage. This fact must be con-
ceded in fairness and honesty at the
beginning of any arguments in favor
of any prohibitory legislation that will
be entitled to receive candid and
thoughtful consideration by these
men. We cannot hope to win the re-
spect or confidence of those who differ
with US by calling them hard names
or misrepresenting their positions.
Why are these men resubmissionistsS
We aver that the republican press and
leaders of the republican party are
directly and solely responsible for it.
They are responsible for it in more
ways than one. They are responsible
fO- 1t, in the first place, because of their
hypocrisy upon the subject. 1t is a
we'll known fact that while this party
has posed before the people as the
great and only law and order party
the true and only exponent of the
principle of prohibition, and while its
platform never fails to contain a prohi-
bition plank, the men who frame those
planks are usually inspired by some
thing more than enthusiasm for :he
cause of prohibition. 1t Is well
known fact that not a republican con-
vention has been held in the state, in
this or former years, where beer and
whisky did not flow more freely than
water does in some parts of Kansas.
This was notoriously the case at the
state convention at Topeka on the Sd
of September, and at the Colby and
Dodge City conventions earlier in the
season, and the men who are loudesi
In their advocacy of prohibition upon
the stump and in the press are tht
men who imbibed the fluids mosI
freely on those interesting occasions.
But there is still another and per
haps more potent reason in some re
spects for the unquestioned growth
of this sentiment. For many year
there has been gradual decline in th'
prosperity of the people. Every bust
nesss interest has suffered. Property
has deprecated in value. Trade ha
gradually but surely declined. Labo
has been unemployed, and when esa
ployed poorly paid. There has been
a rapid increase of debt. The gener
al depression of all industrial interest
has been constantly becoming NOR,
and more serious, until every enter
prise has been paralyzed, and our en-
tire people have been reduced to th'
necessity of a struggle for existance, o.
to save declining business from i'm
pending ruin. Let us calml,
and dispassionately consider whether
the best interests of our state demand
the repeal ofour prohibitory laws. In
determining the question let reason
and intelligence and true patriotism
be the guides that shall light our foot
steps. Let us take the question, fol
short time at least, out of politics
and discuss it purely in the light o.
its wisdom and propriety as related
to our social, civil and business inter
ests, and to the elevation of the mora
standard of our people.-Topeka Advo
cate.