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

torial in your issue of December 9th, on
) Immigration not Emigration" you ask,
will some one explain why during the
late discussion of that (prohibition) ques-
ton in Nebraska, all movements in real
estate practically ceased; and why in
Omaha more real estate and improved
properties have been sold since the cleo
ton of one month ago than in whole
year previous? 1t wont do to say that
because there is no truth in the above
assertion, for it is truth" Now, not
withstanding your solemn assertion of
the fact, have some mental reserva-
lions In accepting 1t: as l have learned
that it depends somewhat upon where
one goes for information as to just the
kind he will receive. But taking it as
you give it, there seems TO me TO be a
very plain explanation of the matter in
the well-known conservatism which pre-
walls whenever a question is pending
before the people, which. by its deci ion,
will affect their business interests. Capt.
tai is always very quiet during a politi-
cal campaign. Besides, there was a
feature in the fight in Nebraska which
had an unusual bearing upon a certain
class of real estate investments. Had
the amendment carried it would have
made certain property worthless for the
purpose for which il was being used,
and have been death blow TO any fu-
ture investments in that line. Very nat
urally all such real estate movement was
checked while the matter hung in sus-
I Rlff %
over, and the liquor dealers knew it was
safe to proceed, the temporary restraint
upon the market was removed. The
class of property which is changing
hands Is that which is connected with
the sale of intoxicating liquors, and its
present activity, whatever it may be, is
simply its running to catch up what it
| lost while stopping to pay tribute to the
fact that prohibition prohibits, in the
/ face of which fact it dared not move.
! By the way, Omaha is a good town TO
mention in connection with such a re-
vival of real estate transactions. That
Is the place where, on the last election
day, preachers of the gospel were slug
| ged, beaten and compelled to fly for
| their lives. Respectable citizens were
chased through the streets by crowds of
who ventured abroad were subjected to
the grossest insults of obscene men,
| Wagon loads of little children who at
tempted to parade the streets were rot
ten-egged. In several wards whisky
flowed like water Drunken men reeled
through the Streets" 1t rather stands to
| reason that crowd like thats
melted and abetted by the policemen of
tl,, Il -
their deliverance from the prohibitory
amendment by establishing a few more
saloons and closing the deal with several
foreign brewing companies. If it is true
that they have sobered up enough 10 do
that. who wonders at it in the least?
You also say: ''The only two remain
ing states with prohibition in their fun
damental laws are Main and Kansas
Will somebody who knows tell us how
these two states, one of the extreme east
and the other of the extreme west, com
pare in prosperity with the other states.
Now III giving that information it is
necessary, first, to understand what pros
perity is. Omaha's saloonists evidently
think they have it. Yet if their STAN
dard is to be accepted they confessedly
have all the argument, for neither
Maine nor Kansas can boast town with
prosperity like Omaha. One cannot,
however, after all keep from wondering
whether the victims of the saloon sys-
tenn, especially the wives and children
of its best supporters, think it a very
pleasant kind of prosperity. We want, |
then, some other standard. What are
the tests which are accepted by
those whose judgment is most cal |
culated to command respect and assent? /
| venture to suggest, Transformation |
of business; secOnd-real estate values: /
third-low taxation; fourth-increase .
of population: fifth-smali per centage /
of crime; sixth-a public sentiment cal |
culated to attract immigration and capt. |
tai. Any state enjoying these things !.
would surely be accounted prosperous.
We cannot limit the idea to simply a
question of finances, nor forget that /
many things which have no connection
whatever with the subject of temperance
very directly effect the financial condi-
ton of the people. There are those in
deed who cannot discuss this question
except as the opposition campaign orator
is accustomed to discuss the issues of
the campaign; that Is, by charging the
for all drouth, chinch
bugs and billiards upon the party in
power. These persons blame the hot
win s and short crops and subsistence of
the boom all upon the prohibitory law,
with courage that is heroic, but a
judgment that Is very feeble. OF
course there is a class with which such
handling of the subject is very satisfac-
tory; but the final disposition of it will
never be accomplished by them. 1t Is
also necessary to state that the data is
not now at hand for presenting all of the
above named tests of prosperity as they
might be if this was delayed until you
would be tired waiting for it. Ipresent
what l have now with promise of more
if this is not satisfactory.
The question now is. how do Maine
and Kansas compare in prosperity with
the other states of the UnIonI And, first.
as to the general character and condi-
ton of business. The business interests
Of Kansas are very largely agricultural
The prosperity of the farmer Is the pros
perity of the state. But it is known uni
versaily that now Is season of special
agricultural depression, not simply in
Kansas but throughout the whole coun-
try. The argument then only requires it
to be shown that the depression Is no
more serious here than elsewhere 10 fully
exonerate the prohibition policy of the
state This point can best be shown by
the general relation of the
question TO the interests of
the farmers, which IS the same under all
whether of prosperity orpoth-
erwise, but whose effects are felt the
keenest when times are hardest. / pre-
fer to let those speak upon this point
whose opportunities for observation have