The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-09-30

patton tax. Public sentiment will tolerate
neither saloon nor joint, and will not per-
init a druggist to make any unusual num-
Der of sales during the current MONTH"
The writer concludes by saying: Liquor
can be obtained in every city in the state
The applicant must, however, sign an an.
plication and be sworn by the druggist, who
is empowered to administer oaths. This
opens the way to prosecution for perjury,
II the name precedes disease that cannot be
we'll established. There have been but few
II any, prosecutions for the latter offence
AS the druggist must at all times keep his
application book in public place subject
to inspection, the sales are not numerous,
nor are they large in quantity. Senator In.
gals stated, in letter recently written to
an Eastern paper, that breweries were run
ming unrestrained in this state. The fact is
there has not been brewery in operation
in Kansas for five years, and for more than
double that time dstillery has not been
fired up. But five cities derive revenues
from saloons out of some sixty cities of size
deserving mention, and in those the reve-
nue. is uncertain, nor is 1t nearly so large as
that derived from the houses of bad charac-
ter which accompany the saloons. The
Peoples party in its campaign last wear
refused to discuss prohibition, declaring that
the laws regulated that subject and It was
not an issue before the people. The demo-
Gratis and resubmission republicans took
heart and aided that party in electing menu
bers OF the Legislature. When resolution
was introduced in the house looking to a
resubmission of the prohibitory amendment
to the constitution there were ninety.one
Alliance votes cast against the resolution to
one Tor 1t. These men had come direct
from the people, and though not instructed
voted the sentiments of their representative
districts
; "When the prohibitory law was enforced,
there were 600 prisoners in the state peni-
A iNtnn hat 81.
added to the population of Kansas more
than 10000 people, while the number of
prisoners has been reduced to $40. OF the
one hundred jails in the state, eighty are
empty, excepting where insane persons are
held awaiting room in the insane asylums,
while the number OF paupers on the poor
farms has decreased one-half The oppo-
nents of this law assert that the driving out
OF the saloons has caused stagnation of
business in all the cities. and that this law
is responsible for the present dull times
And yet Topeka, with no saloons. has been
constantly growing while Wichita, with
sixty saloons, has been decreasing in popu-
lation. Pittsburg has doubled its popula-
ton, while hutchinson, of equal size, with
saloons, has but held its own although it
has added to its industries thirteen large
salt plants and three packing-houses. SINH
lar comparisons might be made with other
cities. These instances are given simply to
show that no one can tell the causes of the
present depression, not even an Alliance
man, but at best can only assign what he
believes to be the cause. Is Kansas better
off? There are in the cities and towns thou
sands of boys sixteen years of age who
never saw a saloon, and only know from
hearsay what they are like. 1t is a fact
that public sentiment at large indorses the
prohibitory law, while only in few To-
calities does public sentiment indorse the
saloon In the latter there is a revenue.
The sale of liquor, as rule is as clandes-
tine as is thievery, with as much fear for the
consequences if discovery follows"