The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-30
LEwELLING ON PROHIBITION.

Ex-Eldsr Botkin, formerly of this city,
but now of Wellington, is at Topeka and
was interviewed by reporter of the State
/ Journal in which be appears to have de-
! fined the position of Governor-elect LEVEL
| ling On the prohibition question. The
article containing the interview will be
| interesting to Wichita readers, and is as
! follows:
The secret is ont. Governor L. d. Lew
| elling is prOhibitionist. He is not only a
prohibtionist, but prohibitionist of the
! most advanced school. He is in favor of
! the new scheme of the State Temperance
union to take the sale of liquor away from
the druggists and place it In the hands of
! state agents.
| Rev J. d. Botkin, two years ago the
| Prohibition candidate for governor, who is
! here attending the prohibition conference,
! said today: 81 am in favor of the state
agency plan, and 1 recently bad long talk
with Governor Lewelling on this
subject and he is heartily in favor of
it, also He said to me that he believed
it would forever settle the whiskey ques-
tiol in this state, rs it would abolish the
drugstore saloon aud take the element of
profit out OF the sale, so the Jointists would
have to 90 out of business"
1t will be seen by the above that Gov
eruor-elect Lewelling is committed To the
pFOpOSeu new leSloldtIOu Ou buc plOniOlCO-
ry question.
OF course the announcement of Governor
dwellings views on this subject Will
cause a great hubbub among the result
mssionists and the liquor element gener-
ally who supported him, TO u man, hoping
that in return for their votes Mr.. LEVEL
ing would prove leuient to violators of
the prohlbtory law or even encourage
its repeal. These hopes will now be
dashed to earth. We may expect great
howl.
Rev. J. D. Botkin said he assured Mr..
Lewelling that he WAS mistaken, IL he
thought iG would settle the whiskey ques-
ton. THAT can only be brought about,
! lid TO Mr., Lewelliug by national prohi-
bitiou. | told HIM l was in favor of the
state agency plan, provided the law is left
Just as it is now, except to transfer the
sale of liquor from the drug store saloons
to the state agents. The present law has
caused, | believe, the druggists business
TO drift into the hands OF men who have
neither honor or conscience, and am
ready to try another plan of handling the
liquor.
The state agency plan will not run the
jointist out of business as Gov. JewelllDg
suggests. He says all the profit will be
taken out of the sale, or at least all but
just enough to pay the actual expenses OF
the agency system, and that the Jointists
him lie was mistaken, that the jointists
were too we'll informed on the art OF adult
GRAFTON and by adulteration they will
undersell the state agent and III this way
still supply their present customers who
now can't get all they want at the drug
stores and then won't be able to buy their
drinks of the state agent.
II am satisfied that Governor Lewelling
will recommend TO the legislature the
state agency system be adopted. | have
not made a very close study Of the sub
ject more than TO satisfy myself that il
would be better than the drug store sys-
tenn"
How would you have the agents ap-
pointed; by the governor or by tne district /
judges asked the reporter
Il am not satisfied what would be best, /
but think it would require too muCh work 1
TO be placed on the already burdeued shout 7
ders of the governor. Perhaps the dis .
trict judges should have the appointing
power, or If it is thought bes., let a spe- /
cial state commission be created TO rsgu
late this traffic and sppoint the agents. "