The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-01-13
NEW YEARS ADDRESS.
OF THE KANSAS STATE TEMPER
ANCE UNION.
A Great Educational Campaign to Be
Entered Upon and the Entire State
Organlzed-ReyiewIng the Present
Situation.

; OfsanlZed-HeYIeWIn the Present
Situation.
. 1.-THE State Temperance Union has issued
the following New Years Address. AS
it is of especial interest and Importance
we print it in full 1t is worthy of care
| fuI perSUal:
To the Temperance People of Kansas:
Topeka, Kas., JAN 2, 1893.-For
twelve years our state has occupied a
place of prominence in connection
with temperance reform, as pioneer
in behalf OF constitutional prohibition.
Our position is the outgrowth of pre-
vious agitation and experience. We
came up through free whiskey, low
license, high license and local option
to prohibition. No one ever dreamed
that this law, more than other laws
prohibiting vices, would exterminate
the evil. Many good men who opposed
the adoption of the constitutional
amendment have become its friends,
having been converted by the actual
beneficient results. Liquor makers
and dealers of the country have testi-
fed to the value of prohibition, and
have shown by their hatred and oppo-
sition to it that it is the only measure
in the restriction of their traffic that
they really fear.
We are engaged in a most serious
conflict. We are fighting the appetite
of drink, the avarice of dealers, and
at present, good deal of apathy
among the friends of temperance.
The condition of things in our state,
at present, calls for serious consider
alton. That there has been an in
ere ased relaxation in the enforcement
Of prohibition in portions of the state
cannot be denied. The friends of the
saloon have been seeking to thrust
themselves into every community
where they can get liberation. 1t is
evidently the scheme of our enemies to
encourage lawlessness, make show
of increased drunkenness, that they
may cry out, prohibition is failure,
let us try something else" This in
tense anxiety of the friends of the
saloon to get rid of prohibition, only
makes it more important to hold with
all our power on to what we have
gained.
1t is not difficult to find some reason
that explains the present Iawlessness.
First there came the ''originaI pack |
age" invasion, in the summer of 1890. |
The open sale of liquor during that
period, proved a great stimulus to
drunkenness and revived dominant
appetites of men who were sober in |
the absence of open temptation. Dur
ing that period, the wholesale liquor
dealers, distillers and brewers of Kan
sas city and other places said they
could not supply the increased de-
mand, and and it showed them how |
great was their loss of business on
account of prohibition. We have also |
had seasons of unusual political eX-
element and revolution. The minds
of the people have been turned to
other questions, and so the cause of
prohibition has suffered. We have |
also had periods of crop failures and
exploded booms. and these evils have,
with perverse ingenuity, been charged |
to prohibition. Several cities of the
first class put themselves in a state of
rebellion against the law of the state,
and have allowed their officials to 90
into collision with the jointists, for
the sake of revenue. The continuance
of this policy has influenced some of
the smaller cities to try the same
thing. The cities tolerating vicious
dives only show by contrast that they
are deprived of a great good by not
having enforced prohibition.
The duties of the hour are very plain
and all friends of temperance in every
portion of the state should unite in per-
sistent agitation to awaken public SEN
timent. We should organize for
campaign of education. The young
people and children of the state should
be reached through the public schools,
the Sunday schools and the young peo-
pies societies of the churches. The
churches and ministers should take the
lead in this work. If all the ministers
and churches of any community unite
and can have the cooperation of the
law abiding citizens, they can and will
enforce prohibition. There should be
a coming together of the friends of !
temperance, especially where the law
is poorly enforced, for the organization
of county societies. for legal enforce
ment. We warn the people that the
liquor men are laying their plans to :
seek control of the cities and towns of
Kansas. Let the men and women who
believe in the protection of their homes
lay aside all personal or party pre- {