Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-02-08
TIME TO CALL A HALT.

AUtOAAOubihS utAuAo oto oOAhB oSAN
In this town and have been for some
time in violation of both the state and
national laws. 1t is not done openly,
but anyone who keeps his eyes and
ears open will not want trustworthy
evidence and such evidence can be
had without sneaking around and re-
sorting to methods peculiar TO the
whiskey smuggler. 1t is getting 10 be
no uncommon thing to see drunken
Indians on our streets, and 1t Is not
long since the writer assisted one of
these poor unfortunates who had fall
en- from his horse q few miles from
town, to re-mount. Then there are
men here in town victims of the drink
habit, formed in past years, who upon
finding that liquor could be had here
without difficulty, have gone back to
the curse of their lives and their fami-
lies. know one man who makes
enough to comfortably support his
family, but as it is his children are
scantily and poorly clad and his wife
without the common conveniencies of
home life. know another man who,
when sober, is kind and provides well,
but he has been drinking SO much OF
late that his family can hardly live
with him. He has gun and pistol
which he keeps loaded and threatens
to use to the CONSERVATION OF his poor
wife. Two nights lately the neighbors
have been called in to quiet him. 1t
| is a common observation, will re.
mark in passing, that as the intoxicant
diminishes a mans mental calibre he
usually seeks to make up the de6cien-
cy by carrying pistol. What would
any sane man want with q pistol or
other deadly weapon in such times I!
The fellow who carries one acknowl-
edges by the very act that he is cow
ard of the first water. II is pretty
definitely known where this liquor is
sold and If the guilty parties think
their actions are unobserved they are
deceiving themselves. Circumstantial
evidence is often of the most unerring
kind. There are certain drug stores
that have their secret agents. Money
is placed in the hands of these unprir-
cipled catpaws who procure the stuff,
reserving q big fee for their services.
Only q short time ago, after their
meeting, quite number Of the mem
bers of one of the prominent lodges
here were seen to file out from the
back part of one of these drug stores.
Late ut night aud under the circum-
stances, such Hooks glaringly suspi-
cious. Besides these there are one or
two places which go under the name
of a confectionery stand (now a gro
cery) or restaurant, against which
there is a good deal of reliable evil
dence. II is strongly suspected by
some, too, that intoxicating liquor can
be had at certain grocery store on
the west side of Military street.
We want such places to understand
that they are spotted. All who are
engaged in such business are trans
gressors against the known laws of
the state and nation and as such
should be punished to the full require
ments of those laws; and if the prop
er officers had had the backbone such
men would have had their dues long
before this. The man who sells cer-
tain so-called bitters or prescriptions
when he has reason TO suspect that the
purchasing party intends to use the
same for intoxication is as guilty as
the rest. The fault is their own and
not of the laws they violate. Prohibit
ton does prohibit or the liquor dealers
would not fight it SO. These eXcep-
tons only prove the rule. 1t isa great
gain to have the ruinous, detestable
stuff out of sight; and out of sight
means out Of mind TO thousands Of
young men who are growing up. But
to have such secret law breakers in a
community is a constant menace TO its
progress in business or any thing that
is worthy. They produce nothing ex-
cept wretchedness and crime. They
make of themselves groveling parasites
feeding not only upon the poorer
classes largely, but upon the baser in
stincts and appetites of men. Before
I would engage in this business Of
unmanning men / would go dressed
in rags and break stones upon the
street for the barest sustenance.
Since Christmas several young men
and mere boys have been drinking
and creating disturbance at public
meetings. Not only so, but they have
endeavOred to force boys who have
been properly brought up to drink
with them. 1t is supposed that all
this is encouraged by these secret de
stroyers of men. They are not omy
corruptors of the youth, but some Of
them bound conspirators against the
virtues of home life.
1t is time that the law abiding citi-
zens and the officers whose business 1t
is 10 ferret out such crimes had their
attention aroused to the fact that It is