Wichita eagle., 1890-03-14
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CAPITAL

|
the Resubmission meeting in representa-.
tive hall, Topeka, Friday evening of last
week, March Z:
WICHITA, Kan, March 10. 1890.
| Hon. J. K. Hudson Editor Topeka Capital:
Dear Sir: Being neither newspaper
men nor politicians, but modest privates
in the ranks of the good old Republican
party who never scratch our tickets, we
address you, and trust you will pardon
| the presumption if you should consider
it such. As the editor and proprietor OF
/ the Capital, newspaper assuming to
voice the policy of the Republican party
and deriving no small share of its sup
! port from the party patronage, you can
not be indifferent to any line of policy
likely to prove injurious to the party.
You know, as we'll informed Republicans
know, that prohibition is not tenet OF
| the Republican party. You well know
that it has been peremptorily rejected
by every National Republican conven-
| ton before which it has been brought.
| You know also that the law has been IN
| force in Kansas over nine years and that
! as a temperance measure 1t does not
amount to hill of beans" You know
that man, when he becomes lmbued
with this theory of prohibition, is from
that moment doubtful. and should be
SO marked in the party poll book.
Abraham Lincoln declared that prohl-
bition strikes blow at the principles
upon which our government IS founded;
that it is a species of lntemperance With
in ITSELF and that it will work great IN
jury to the temperance cause.
President Grant and Governor An
drew, of Massachusetts,, also condemned
prohibition in equally as strong terms.
Some of the ablest bishops and most en-
inent dlvines in the churches of America
nave condemned it. No great newspa-
per in the whole United States advocates
or approves of it. These are unvarnish-
ed, ungetoverable facts which no IN
formed man having any regard for his
reputation or standing among men VIII
venture to contradict.
These things being true, why is it that
you are SO dead set against allowing
the people of Kansas to say. at the ballot
box, whether they choose to continue the
experiment with prohibition, or to try
some more rational measure for manag
ing the liquor traffic: Are you afraid to
trust the people: If SO, what becomes of
Abraham Lincoln's government of the
people. for the people and by the peo-
ple:' From some editorials we have
read in your enterprising newspaper
within the last few weeks one would
conclude you had determined 10
"go back upon the principles OF
Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and
the grand old Republican party. and
build up party of your own. The editor
of great daily newspaper is a busy man
and has little time for such things, we
know, but before you became an editor
you no doubt read about dark fellow
who got up new tangled policy in
heaven sometimes called rebellion),
and what came of it. What's history
especially sacred history good for any
how if we do not profit by it? No doubt
Belzebub at this moment sincerely wishes
he had never made that ''break.' But
pardon this DEPRESSION, we are not to
blame for it. But to the subject.
The Prohibitionist spends all mis- time
dreaming of better world than this, so
that he has no time to consider the affairs
of earth. This world has always been
SO pleasant place for us that we
do not wish to leave it until yielding to
the universal law we go the way OF all
flesh. Since you and we, and the Re-
publican party to which we belong. are
destined to live longer and have our be-
ing upon this earth, why not make the
best of it? The Creator made things
about right after all. If we should estab
lisn Prohibition on earth, aud thus make
the earth just like heaven, as the Pro-
hibitionists argue it would be, would we
not weary of being so good before the
time:
Just think seriously for moment how
many Kansas prohibition office holders
would be deprived of their regular daily
solace if subjected to a prohibition that
really prohibited in this life. Your ex
perience in public life, and your knowl-
edge of public men, teaches you that
four out of every five men holding Of
fee, or in politics in Kansas today are,
to say the least, not tetotaiers. Is it not
about time for us Kansas people to quit
lieing? We believe it would be a win
ming card for our people if they would
do it. Tell the truth" was what elected
Grover Cleveland. If he had not in
desperation uttered these three brief
words he would never have been presi
dent No good ever did come from lie
ing, anyway The prohibitionist lies
when he says prohibition prohibits in
Kansas, or anywhere else on earth. All
who are at all informed know this. Why
not tell the truth about this as well as
any other matter? Why not let this
thing stand or fall upon its merits the
same as any other thing: What Is there
about this thing that one should seek to
make it his religion and get bowling mad
about it If any one dareS TO questions Its
infailibility:
Since prohibition is not principle of
our party, why do you insist on US shout
ing for something our party does not
approve of, and call us bad names when
we decline to do so: The Republican
party is good enough for Us. If you
who are finding fault with Us because
we are not in favor of such humbug as
prohibition, have made up your mind
to still ''hang TO it, why do you not
connect yourselves with st. John: If
you would do this, while we would think
YOU unwise. you would at least be con-
sistent But we do not advise this
course. As party we are not in con-
dition to spare you. We much prefer
YOU would abandon tins prohibition
lgnIs fatuus you have been seduced by,
and put yourselves in accord with the
party and IN accord with
the aggregated common sense of the
people of the United States.
Prohibition has again been declared /
too narrow policy for this nation, and /
the sooner we abandon it and put our
selves in accord with the general policy /
OF our sister states and of the nation. the +