Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-07-19
Enforcement OF the Prohibitory Law

enforcement OF The PrOhlbltOry Law.
Attorney General Little since his in
duction into Office, has faithfully tried
to do his duty toward the prohibition
law. Such being the case, the follow
Ing words coming from him, are worthy
Of careful study by every prOhibitionist,
as they point out the real trouble lying
in the way of the cause of temperance,
as in reply to petition for the appoint
ment of an assistant attorney general
for Bourbon county, he says:
The Office is overwhelmed with pc
titions of the same kind. When one
petitions for the appointment of an as
sistant attorney general, another petit
ton will be presented, demonstrating
against it. l appointed an assistant
Junction City, and yesterday, this Office
was beseiged with parties from the
same town, asking the removal of the
man l had appointed, and they were all
good intelligent men.
''But | want to tell you what the
trouble is. These cities are all in
debt, and the financial condition of the
country being SO low, and times so
hard, money SO scarce and stringent,
the people of these cities have conclud.
ed to acquiesce in the cities collecting
liCence from these institutions, for the
purpose of paying their taxes. l lam in
clined to the opinion that there are
plenty of good men in these cities, in
favor of the licence of these liquor sa-
looms, merely for the purpose of raising
revenue. Times are getting harder
every day, and the strain upon the
cities in collecting money to run the
cities and to pay this vast indebtedness
are virtually demanding of them, some
process by which these taxes can be
gathered, and they are, in direct man.
ner, cOnsenting. / find that all these
parties who demonstrate against the
appointment of an assistant attorney
general, are taxpayers, and their strong
est plea is that these licenced saloons
bring in money enough to pay the ex-
penses of the city, and thereby relieve
them.
TO RELIEVE CITIES OF BURDENS.
I'm my Judgment, If you want moral
ity in community, you must furnish
people sufficient amount of money to
do legitimate business, and to pay
their honest debts. If this is not done,
men will seek every opportunity, and
permit vice and crime to run at large,
If from this source they can collect
money to relieve their overburdened
condition. This demand for licensed
saloons is growing stronger every day,
and will continue to grow stronger I'M
til the people have some relief, and are
enabled to get money to pay their taxes
and run their city Indebtedness with
out resorting to licensing vile instltu-
buttons.
II saw Mr.. Chenault and a commit
tee from Fost Scott, few days ago, in
forming me that meeting had been
held for the purpose of prosecuting your
attorney and your sheriff for not en-
forcing the liquor law. 1 have, to-day.
written the county attorney and sheriff
that they must do their duty in this re-
spect, but want to say right here that
with the conditions on tines as they
now are, and the people straining every
nerve to save what little they have ac.
cumulated In the last few years. they
will countenance these licensed lnstitu.
tions, and in my judgment there is nc
power under heaven that will prevent
it. 1t is like attempting to drain a
fountain by dipping at the stream.
III this community wants peace and
harmony, soberness and virtue, they
must proyids gone system other than
the present, for not Only glll saloon:
run wide open, but will crime OF every
conceivable nature, become rampant
Men must live, and if a nation adopts
a policy by which they are unable tC
supply themselves and family with
food, mark yen that these people will
have it, and starving men VIII regort tC
anything"
business depends on confidence; con.
Qlo..o a .1e -, a~.h Afnro1 v,o,n