The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-31

In fact 1t is hard to see just where the
state cispensary system would be as easily
enforced as the present law. ard the sue
cessfui enforcement of prohibition is all
owing 10 whether you are in favor or OPP
posed 10 Il
However. the introduction Of this state
dtspensary scheme from such a respect
able source as Governor Morrill, Will give
it strength. and viii make the political
Kaleidoscope of Kansas more brilliant next
year than ever before.-Hutchinson News
Could not Governor morrill, MAINTAIN the
firm and logical position Of his first in
tervisw. il which he fully ayowed the
failure ard the imposssbiEty of prohibi-
ton? No; he is afraid Of the conse-
quences of his own words He wants 20
please everybody; he would fam have the
support Of both the "Reminiscences and
the Prob. bitsonists. So in a second in
terview he falters, and modihes, and
hedges OF course. the result is self-con-
tradiction7
In this second interview. stating his
position correctly" he says in one sen
tence: THE GothenEberg system offers
than prohibition which does not prohibit"
He admits that prohibition does not pro-
hib:t." He says that the man who pre-
tends to believe that prohibition prohibits
in our cities Is deceiving himself. And yet
in another sentence he says: Il am in
favor of prohibition as we now have II
until something better presents itself"
Why does he not boldly say that. since
prohibition is fiasco. and works nothing
but lawlessness, perjury. hypocrisy.
bribery. Matchmaking. dishenOr and
sneaking iss.pation,-therefore let US re-
submit il: let US repeal it; let US abolish
the fraud?
Why go on with the costly and unjust
prosecutions under a law which he adj
mits cannot be enforced? Why keep
up the strife. dissens:on, scandal. which
makes Kansas a byword in the land?
Governor Morrill, cannot be on both
sides of this fence without making a mani
fest fool Of himself. Here is the kind
of absurdity in which he lands by making
the attempt. In one sentence of his in
terview he says:
In rural communities, where the senti-
ment is largely for temperance, prohibt-
Nlrn Is eHlOfccU
In another sentence he gives that state
ment the lie. He says:
Outside of drug stores, 100 Kansas
joints are carrying United States licenses.
OF these 800 Joints there are poss.b bly, 40
nj cities governed by police comm.ss.oa-
ers. The remaining so must be scatter
ed through the rural communities where
the police law does not reach. How can
the people blame the state authorities for
M f,efr closing
when they, with the machinery of the law
in their own hands, are impotent against
the 500?
Nine hundred, Yes, and drug stores that
are only liquor-shops by the thousand!
And clubs that are only tipping synods by
the hundred,
When a man has arrived at an honest
conviction as the result of frank reason
ing, he should be prepared to stand by 1t
and live By IL.
A poEticmal trimmer has nothing TO do
with honesty of conviction, with frank
ness of reasoning, or with consistent &C
ton. His business is to adjust his sails
successfully to catch the passing breeze
of popularity. There are breezes in Kan
sas like the Mystic Brotherhood; and the
prevailing winds are away from prohibit
ton. Has Governor Morrill, discovered
It? Does ne therefore want to turn him
self and his party into the tack where it
will receive some OF the favorable i'm
pulse? Has Cy whispered in his ear?
And yet vacillation is always a poor
policy. 4 clearly defined and steadfast
stand on plain issue like this IS the
only sensible and successful position
Leavenworth Times.