The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-03-27

| increase the number of drinking places
and to lower their character. Where
one open saloon existed before, two
secret saloons exist now. Where one In
dividual kept liquors at his home before,
| a dozen do now. Where man took a
single glass before, he takes several
| glasses now.
In Your reply we find the following
| sentence: I'm Kansas today the prohlbl-
1 ton law is as well enforced as any other
| law on the statute book" This Is such a
glaring. outrageous and inexcusable
! falsehOod that we cannot for a moment
attribute it TO you. How it could find a
place in your reply is beyond our COM
| prehension.
1t is refreshing to be told that the
| friends of prohibition never expected alb
| solute perfection from it. Their dlsap-
| pointment then viii not be so great when
! it is discarded. We are pleased TO note
the philosophy with which they viii
contemplate the repeal of the prohibitoTy
amendment and that they are adapting
themselves to the inevitable with such
commendable alacrity.
One among the many evil arising from
prohibition is its debasing effect upon
men in politics. Even in the halls OF
congress this effect is so apparent as to
enable an observer to single out MEM
Der representing a prohibition con-
stituency. His political life depends
upon his skill in the roll of IAN artful
dOdger" Whittier would you rather,
or. rather would you whitherlh Is the
question he is ever trying to solve.
Craftsmanship, manhood, selfrespect. all,
are required to be sacrificed at the beheSt
of the most exacting and illlberal
fanaticism that has dominated since the
days of witchcraft.
Nearly every politician in Kansas
roosts high up on the political fence. The
thing that exercises his mental faculties
most is to determine which side he
ought, for his own advantage, TO get
down on. Just now the average poll
tician is roOSting at a very giddy height.
Innovation he fears as he would pesti-
lence. He never sat on so soft cushion
nor drew so comfortable a salary before
His dingy law Office in his dull little
county seat, where he barely made the
ends meet, has no attractions for him
now. He much prefers to stay where he
is. This is the secret of his opposition to
reSubmission. What is known as the
"oId crowd" also prefer to have matters
remain in statu quo for a similar reason.
You ask. "What IS it you want of the
people of Kansas? 1t is the people you
address. Back of us stands majority
of the people of Kansas. They speak to
you through us; they demand 1T
your hands of those who, for the
time being are in Office, and conse-
quentIv have control of affairs, that the
Republicans of Kansas shall put them
selves in harmony with the Republican
party Good politics viii require the
Republican party in Kansas to discard
prohibition. Party ties never rested so
lightly upon the Kansas voter as now.
He is learning his power; slight provOca-
ton will prompt him to take the bit
and smash the machine.
1t is our deliberate judgment that I'M
less an extra session of the legislature is
called, and this question got out of poll
tics, that crushing disaster will lee the re-
suit, If disaster comes the governor and
his advisers will be responsible for it. He
has it in his power TO avert 1t.
You people who stand by prohibition
have no idea Of the rapid growth of the
anti-prOhibition sentiment. You say that
in your judgment prohibition would
carry in Kansas today by a larger vote
than at any other period. You are not
candid. If you believed what you assert
you would want reSubmission in order
that the triumph of prohibition might
be made manifest and its status be more
securely fixed.
Upon a straight vote. freed from any
other distracting question, Topeka and
Shawnee county would give a large ma
jOrity for resubmissiOn. If you do not
know this. you have not kept pace with
your people. it is an insult to tell Us to
wait and raise the question at the cleo
ton of members of the legislature next
fall This Will require three years 10
obtain the relief we are entitled
to now. The Kansas Republican viii
not be in a temper to mind the
party lash if he is denied the privilege to
pass upon this question this year The
people who own the state of Kansas,
raise the crops. and pay the taxes to sup
port these office holders, ii not needed in
their reasonable request will at once go
about the business Of making a new
deal Then viii political heads fall ike
acorns after a hard frost.
The clouds are gathering in the politi- T.
cal horizon The sheet lightning Is Civ
ing place to the sharp. angular zic-zag. .
The far OFF, low rumbling thunueG VIII .
soon be succeeded by the sudden crash .
that tells of destruction. Look well TO .
your lightning rods, We bosses, the storm /
is coming. Yours respectfully. /
The REPUBLICAN REsUB5usSION CLUB. /