The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-12

the QlSflierieS OF Nebraska USED
469, 7S5 bushels of grain, from which
was produced liquor of the retail value
of S13, 000, 900. That is, that much OF
of the money of the people was diverted
from the channels of useful industry and
trade, into the liquor dealers till. OF
this amount at least 80 per cent was
taken from the farmers market foI
flour, potatoes, meat, poultry, butter.
vegetables, fruit, and all other kinds OF
produce. That is, the ''liquor industry
furnished the farmers of Nebraska last
year, a market for $94, 900 worth of
grain, and ruined market for $780,
900 worth of produce" Upon all OF
which this point is made, that the pros
perity of Kansas has been as much
greater than it would otherwise have
been, as the temperate habits of her peo-
pie are above those of other states. And
these hard times would be much harder
had we, as state, to carry, in addition
TO present burdens, our proportion of the
5000, 900, 900 which are squandered every
year in this country for intoxicating
drinks. By all the protecting influences
of our prohibitory law we are in m re
prosperous condition than those states
that have no such protection.
g Real estate values. Hon. T.
H. Benton. state auditor of Nebraska
SAYS that the aggregate assessed value of
the property of that state in 1880 was
$50, $780, 18, in 1889 it was 1882, 763,-
5S3.4l, an increase of S92, 263 ,92O. Al.
Hon. T. Mccarthy, auditor of Kansas,
says that the aggregate assessed value of
the property of this state in 1890, was
1850, $40, T61 43; in 1899 it was $500. 49,
07S 40, an increase of $500, 2S4 ,3l2.0 6.
| The difference in the growth of wealth
| in the two states Is thus S107 $40, 800 Al
in favor of prohibition Kansas as against
| high license Nebraska. The wealth of
| the former has grown more than twice
! as fast as the latter. have at hand the
statements of many persons from various
sections of the country who are well
/ qualified to speak upon this point, which
unite in saying that the presence of
| saloons decreases the value of property
instead of increasing it. | will not
! lengthen this article, however, to give
more than that of the Chicago Tribune
of last July. 1.-The saloon never en-
| hances values. 1t always pulls them
down" On the other hand property in
the city of Atlanta increased during the
first year of prohibition over 81, 200, 900.
In so far then as the value of real estate
| is factor in The prosperity of a state
Kansas compares very favorably with
any of the rum cursed states.
3. Low taxation. Official reports
show that the rate of taxation in Nebras-
ka is nearly twice as high as either Iowa
or Kansas. Yet under prohibition Iowa
has wiped out 81, 600, 900 of Indebtedness,
and now has money in her treasury. In
New York the amount of tax collected
by the government from the sale of
lou rs for the year ending May 1889 was
81 30 per inhabitant; in New Jersey it
was s.. 90 per ihhabitant; in Maine it was
81 cents per inhabitant. The census
department has just issued census bulle-
tin No Il, entitled: Financial Condi-
ton of Municipalities which shows
the financial status of number of rep
resentative cities in the eastern and wet
ern states in 1880 and 1890. During that
time the percentage of increase of avail
able resources of the cities of Kansas was
399: in Nebraska 1874; in New York 12j:
i'm Vermont 100, in Rhode Island 81;
Massachusetts, So; New Hampshire %;
and Connecticut decreased 5 per cent.
The CITY taxes of Wichita have de-
creased % per cent under prohibition
since 1882, while her taxable property
has grown from $2,410.14 in 1885 to
S11 069, 206 in 1889. | am sorry that l
have not by me the figures for other
states, but the great similarity of condi-
lions in Kansas and Nebraska make all
these comparisons between them of M
usual value.
4. Increase of population. The GER
titled reports OF the last census are not
vet at hand, but enough is already
known to announce that Kansas during
the past decade has grown faster in pop
uation than any of the states except
New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois
Nevada, with a $3.50 license fee, lost
nearly 10000 population during that
time.
5. Small percentage of crime. The
prison population of the Uni ed States
averages one to 1000 inhabitants; in
Kansas exclusive of United States pris-
oners confined in her penitentiaries) il is
one TO ,921 inhabitants, which Is a de- /
crease of ) per cent since 1891, while |
that of Nebraska has. increased |
during the same time 161 per cent. In /
the United States there IS an /
average of one pauper to 100 inhabitants; |
in Kansas there is one TO | 300 inhab- /
itants. In Maine the arres for drum I
kenness are II TO 1000 population; in /
sixty license cities in other states they |
range from % to 40. In the statements /
of Judges, attorneys and others, now be /
fore me, the percentage of crime due TO 4
the saloon is estimated at from 30 10 90 ,
per cent. In so far, then. as a low per
centage of crime Is an evidence of pros /
peri-y the case stands very fayorably for 1
Kansas.
6. As for the public sentiment which
is calculated to attract immigration and
capital, but little needs 10 be said. The ,
case is so plain that wayfaring man,
though a observation-disclosures need not err
therein. Notwithstanding all of her
many attractive features, that which has
[ he greatest attract n to the most de-
sirable class of Immigrants is the under
stood fact that Kansas sentiment T.
down on the saloon. The greatest pros
perity which has ever visited her has
come since she made prohibition part of
her fundamental law, and the power
that will lift her out Of her present de-
preston will be the honest industry 81
those who have come. or VIII vet come,
to find refuge within her borders from
the curse which rum throws over the
home in other states
The truth l.. Mr. Editor. some men
have already lived 80 long IN Kansas,
and have become 50 familiar with her
grandeur. that they do not realize how
far ahead she is Of the rest Of the world.
Your editorial now under review sounds
strangely out Of harmony with your ac-
references to..this. beautifuiaand;
and / wonder what ln the world hap
pened that YOU should editOrialIv call fnr