Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-02-04
A CALM VIEW OF KANSAS.
A Lawyer of Kansas City, Mo-,
Relates His Observations.
The Situation as Seen by One
Who is not a "PrOhibition
Fauatic.''

The Situation as Seen by One
Who is not a "ProhibitiOn
Fanatic"
Editor of "The Voice:"-For two
years, 1889 80, | was a resident in one
of the best of the interior towns 81
Kansas, and have since then been
back aud forth in the State several
times. Throughout this period | was
in attendance at each term of court in
thirteen counties in the central part oil
the State. Fresh from Ohio, where the
temperance problem had long engross-
ed public opinion, and where | felt
but little sympathy toward the advo
Gates of Prohibition, | endeavored to
learn a II could as to the results OF
constitutional Prohibition" in Kan
sas. am not now a resident of that
State never expect to be Oh the tenn
perance question am in favor of such
legislation in each State as seems there
most practicable, whether Prohibition,
license or tax, and so have no pride of
State or of opinion to bias my judg-
ment on this question.
1t would indeed be gratifying if the
actual facts, both as to the enforce
ment of the law in Prohibition States,
and the effects thereof, when enforced
could be demonstrably gwen to the
world. But much of the controversy
thereon, especially as relates TO eff
fccts, cannot be resolved, because it
pertains largely to the peculative.
The writer believes that an honest
indictment of the law could not posi-
bly, contain more charges than the fol-
lowing:
Q) That there are open saloons in
few of the cities>on the border lines
of the State, and including Wichita.
(2) That there are "iolnts"-secret
back room or cellar saloOns-in very
many of the towns.
(3) That liquor, in small quantities,
is shipped into the State to private in
dividuals for their own use.
(4) That at hotels the "transicnts"
can usually get supplied, at their
rooms, with liquor.
(5) That the grade of liquor sold in
Kansas is poor.
(6) That all liquor there sold is
manufactured outside of the State,
and the profit therefore goes to non
residents.
Over against this indictment it can
be claimed, and ] think will be ad-
mitted by most of the anti-Prohibi-
tionists:
|. That the quantity of liquor now
drunk in Kansas bears no comparison
to the quantity consumed i'll ante
Prohibition days.
II. That the liquor is consumed al
most wholly by those who had previ-
ously acquired an appetite for drink.
III. That the American creating
habit" merchants noon lunches with
liquor, saloons and concert hall as
places of amusement, accompanied
with drink-all these are absolutely
and totally eXterminated from which
results
". That the drunkard who wishes
to reform is not tempted at every
block by fumes of liquor from an open
door, nor is the young man drawn I'M
snspectingly, through social games, to
the use of liquor; the joints are all
obscure, dirty holes, without an attrac-
tive feature, not at all adapted for re-
cruting stations for the drunkard
army.
V. Last, greatest and most undeni-
able, Prohibition has eXterminated in
that State government by rumsel-
lers." The saloon as political pow
er is not. There is no recruiting place
for the vcndable slum vote. The
"growing, threatening power of the
saloon" is phrase unintelliga6le to
the fledgling in Kansas politics. The
"tentacles of the dramshop octopus"
have there no clutch on municipal af-
fairs. The resident of any Eastern
city of thirty thousand or upwards
knows what this means.
In spite of all controversy it must
be admitted by even casual visitor
in Kansas that the sentiment in favor
of Prohibition is overwhelming. 1t
is as popular as homestead exemp-
tions from exeeution-perhaps more
so.
Senator ingalls, late change of front
on this subject will have little effect.
That gentleman is far from being a
power in the State. Political intiu-
ence as United States Senator long
maintained for him following which
he had not the personal influence to
retain after his defeat. His states
manship has long been doubted, and
there is not q small number of the
level heads of the State who have
come to regard him as fitting the de-
scription Carlisle gives of Mirabeau-
''two gathering jaw-bOnes, and a
head vacant, sonorous, of the drum
species" c. II. KIRsHNER.