The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-01-08
THE PRoHrBrronx Law.

/ Welch, county attorney OF Shawnee
county, On Thursday, December SIst,
1891, and is published at the uuaui-
nous request of the convention. with
a similar request dat each county
attorney in the state Secure its puBli-
cation in his respective county paper.
The subject was:
/ THE ENFORCEMENT Or THE PROHIB-
TORY LAWS OF KANSAS"
While there might be "a difference
of opinion as to the wisdom Of what is
I known as the prohibitory liquor law
I of this state, there ought 10 be no
I difference OF opinion as 10 the duty of
county attorneys and other officials as
/ to enforcing this law, or any other
I criminal law, uhile it remains upon
our statute books. unFepealed.
"Ihere was a time shortly after the
{ passage of the prohibitnry law wheu
many officials ranging from judge to
I constable, assumed the duties of ali
I the various branches of the state
I government. They assumed that all
| the powers Of the legislature. gov
! ernOr and supreme court were vested
/ in them; but shortly after the judge
of the Third district gave his celebTa-
/ ted lecture to jury as to its duties,
/ anu the county attorney for Saline had
( been removed from Office for official
/ misconduct. and the city of Topeka
/ had BEEN enjOined from licensing
] saloons under the disguise OF monthly
/ fines, the petty officers of the state
] became informed as to the scope OF
| their official duties. They learned
/ that they were not responsible for the
/ laws OF the state of Kansas, and that
I their duties began and ended with the
/ enforcement OF the laws as they found
! them.
1T is strange that any loyal man
ever thought differently; but such
was the hold which the old regime Of
the saloon had upon at least some of
/ the people that il was difficult for
them to adjust themselves to the new
/ condition OF affairs. Indeed, it may
well be doubted whether the people,
/ OF their officials. in certain sections OF
the state have, even to this time.
adjusted themselves.
while it is true that it is difficult
! to enforce a law in a community where
/ public sentiment Is largely against the
law and its enforce ment, it Is also
! true that the enforcement of law Is a
4 generator Of public sentiment, and the
! rigid enforcement of a good law, even
against public sentiment, win change
1 that sentiment from one of hostility
{ to one. OF friendship. This has been
| our experience in Shawnee county.
/ When the pruhibitOry laws were en-
acted, Shawnee county had as many
I saloons and other attendant lnstitu-
| tions, in proportion to its population,
as any county in the state. 1t was
almost universally conceded that sg-
/ looms We're necessary, not to the duuL-
cial prosperity OF the city, but to the
prosperity of the business interests Of
The individual citizan. For a consider
aUle tIIue the prosecution of liquor
dealers resulted only in acquittals,
and saloons were running as openly as
/ dry goods houses. Fortunately, at
this critical period, Shawnee county
[ had officials who did not consider their
duty as fully performed While the
laws OF the state were being disre-
garded, and there were citizens willing
/ to make complaint according TO the
forms of law. Every abuse and SLAM
der which could be conceived by
dcpraved men y ere heaped upon these
officials. The saloon power vas backed
not only ny the great wealth OF those
engaged in the business in this county,
but by large contributions from brew
srs and distilieTs from abroad. Our
county attorneys, judges aud sheritis
stood firm to their sworn duty, and
ere long the saloon with ali its pres
tige of public sentiment and money
had to go down. Shawnee county has
not had an open saloon within its
borders Tor six years, with the excep-
ton of the original package invasion
of 1890, with which you are ali familiar.
This expression Is not to be construed
to mean that there are no Illegal sales
of intOXICants IN Shawnee county
We cOncede. because true. that such
Illegal sales take place, and we further
cOncede, because we believe it, that in
our Judgment, they always viii take
place. But we claim without fear of
successful contradiction, that the
crime OF selling Intoxicating liquors
for purposes other thsn medicinal
mechanical and scientific, is perpetra-
ted precisely in the same manner as
other crImes-in the dark auL out of
the sight of tie public, and when dis
covered, these Odenses are punished
the same as Offenses against other
criminal iaws-nO more and no less
This, in my judgment, is all that can
/ be accomplished OF AL that OUghs "a
be expected by any reasonable citizen
The enforcement OF the PTohiJitorY
3 liquor law in Shawnee county now is
no more and no less difficult than the
endorsement Of any other criminal law
] The long bitter Eglt IS over and pub
lie sentiment which once said that thG
! saloon was essential to the prosperity
of the eitv and to the business inter
, ests Of the people now comedies thai
the saloon is an Institution that robs
legitimate calIings Of traffic thai
would, but f6E- the saloon, 90 to them
That If the lssGoEer, who at best find.
it difficult to provide his family with ,
home and the uecassuries Of Itfe ans
to educate mis- children. USES up poe
D. H-F