The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-04-07
PROHIBITION NOT A FAILURE.
Theories Must Give way to Facts.

communication in your paper under |
the heading, "Prohibition in Kan
sas," by S. s. l have no desire to
criticise Mr.. Shepherds statement
of the situation in Kansas when the
cyclone of prohibition struck it over
ten years ago. Our imagination is
ample to truthfully picture the scene
likely to occur when the check was
first given to the rum traffic by the /
Kansas Prohibition law.
1t is well attested that the alco-
holic drink traffic struggles persist
emily against its enemies dies hard.
1t is not to be wondered at that its
friends got. drunk at its funeral,
howled, CRASHED their teeth, fought
the law, evaded the law, hampered
the officers of the law, cursed all
upholders of the law, sold liquor by
stealth contrary to law, land danced
in fendish revelry around" their
success in evadng the law, mourned
over its downfall and refused to be
comforted, and kicked up that par
ticular hell that Mr.. Shepherd has
described, by having to be forced to
comply with the law.
Perhaps it is not too much to say
that breaking the law or causing
others to break it, by committing
violence and tramping upon all de-
cency, is Il part of the natural fruits
of the saloon, whether the saloon be
in countries of high or low license,
or free liquors. The police usually
haunt the saloons hunting for law
breakers. If the saloon keeper does
not break the law, some of his dupes
do, as being crazed by the liquor he
sells them, they quarrel ana fight,
perhaps kill each other starve, abuse
and perhaps kill their wives and
children. Some of the most desper
ate criminals have TO brace them
selves with strong drink to enable
them to commit some of their worst
crimes, like the murderer who had
accepted the task of numbering a
whole family, he confessed upon the
gallows that he got along all right
until he came to the babe. He had
no heart to kill it, as it looked up
into his face and smiled, but he
nerved himself with liquor, then he
finished his task, with no more com
junction of conscience. How strange
it is that men should banker after
such hellish drinks that lead to SO
much misery and crime? However,
| do not propose TO preach a sermon,
but to combat testimony with testi-
mony to prove that prohibition is not
a failure in Kansas.
In June, 1888, Ex-Governor John
A. Martin, who had then been gov
ernor three and'a half years with the
most ample facilities for knowing
whether prohibition was failure or
not, declared in public speech in
Topeka that he was originally OPP
posed TO prohibition, and voted
against the prohibitory amendment
in 1880. But he said the complete
Success of prohibition during the
previous seven years, and the benefit
of it to the State, had converted him
from an opponent to champion of
prohibition. In this speech (if we
are correctly informed), he made the
following statements: "First-l as.
sert in the most positive language,
that the temperance laws of Kansas
are enforced as earnestly, as fully
and as effectively rs any other laws
on our statute books, or as are the
criminal laws of any other State in
the Union.
Secondly do not believe that
there is to-day an open saloon within
the limits of The State of Kansas. =
do not mean to say that in
toxicating liquors are not sold in
Kansas. But | assert, with emphasis
and earnestness, that the open sa
loon has been banished
from Kansas utterly.
"Thirdly-I assert that whenever
and wherever liquors are sold in Kan
sas at all they are sold just as other
crimes are committed, namely, in
secret; just as houses are robbed CT
horses are stolen, and by men who
live in daily and hourly terror of the
law.
"Fourthly-l affirm that, as rule,
arrests of those who violate our tenn
perance laws are as swift and GER
tain, and their punishment, when ar
rested, as sure and full as are arrests
and punishments of any other class
of law breakers or criminals.
"Fitthly-I believe and declare
that, as result of our prohibiting
laws and the punishment of the open
saloon, fully nine-tenths of the drink
ing and drunkenness prevalent in
Kansas eight years ago have been
abolished.
Governor Humphrey, the present
Governor of Kansas, confirms this
testimony of his predecessor by the
following official statements in his
message to the Legislature
"The growth of public sentiment
in support of constitutional prohibi-
ton in Kansas is steady, healthful
! tnIx In, hn f.,