Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-06-07
National Prohibition the Renet

SHucI TIE late uecIslOu OF the w 4
States supreme court, and accordii II
. the following, which we clip. from thu
[ Wichita Journal, we are more fully con.
winged Of the necessity of prohibitor;
amendment to the United States c5nsti.
tuition. The Journal says:
SHUT UP.
Barney Kelley may rave and RAM
about prohibition but if he can tell the
people of Kansas how they can get
around the original package decision OF
our court We would be pleased to hear
from him. The matter simmered down
means that the life has been knocked
out of prohibition. BY this decision
our Prohibition friends may appeal
10 congress for redress, and if con-
gress should reiterate in substance
HE same supreme court would declare ii
unconstitutional. This court is good
for III least twenty-five years. and as
long MS this court exists this decision
viii stand and us long as it stands pro-
hibitiOn is a dead letter. Way? Be-
cause the government recognizes liquor
as property, and the subject OF trans
pOrtatiOn and commerce, and SO long us
it has this status a state cannot prohibit
its introduction and sale. Good bye,
Barney. Good bye, intolerance. Wei
come Reason, immigration, Prosperity
Now then, if the government recog-
pizcs intoxicating liquors as property,
subject to transportation the same as
any other article of commerce, then the
state cannot prohibit its introduction
and sale, and any law enacted by con-
gress prohibiting its being transported
and sold in any state would b" decided
unconstitutional by the United States
supreme court. Thus, we see under
this state of affairs that state prohibi-
lion, or even what is called local option
is knocked into smithereens, and that
The will of the people of n state Is pow
rrless in protecting themselves against
The liquor curse. The aforesaid dfris-
ion knocks tie wind out of the afgu-
ment or humhug that prohibiting the
liquor traffic is simply local question
and not national. 1t also upsets The alb
surdity of nOn-partisan action i'm pro
hibitiOn. 1t also settles the question be-
yond doubt, that the only way to pro-
cure national al d STATE prohibition is in
and through national political party
that will, among other needed reforms.
procure All amendment to the United
States constitution prohibiting the inn
portatiOn. manufacture and sale of in
loxicating liquors AS a beverage, and
then six men out of nine on the United
States supreme bench cannot corner the
United States constitution and KNOCK
the prohibitory aud local option J. avs OF
state into cooked hat. Now iih order
TO get rid of the licensed saloon and the
original package saloon, the friends o.
good government, north and south
must get together in one grand, iiationa
non-sectional political party. the pur.
pose of which must be to give the peO
pie an honest government. w hen iht
good, honest people of this country
unite in such party and ele' ifs nOmi
nees. then they will be able to destroy
the power of the liquor traffic, secur,
clean and fair elections, stop the spolia
lion of the people by speculatiPa, mak'
proper provisions for the prosperity no
only of farmers and labOrers hut of al
honest. industrious citizens, anJl all the
other great reforms that THE nation
needs. The great question no Ew, is TIN
union of all the friends of good govern