The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-09-21
THE SPIRIT OF PRESCRIPTION.

| The Pratt County RepuDhcan CRIT
cizes the Eagle for fighting the state
administrat ton. 1t declares the Eagle
TO be inst as much q rebel as was .Ieiif.
Davis, coupling the declaration with
the suggestion that there ought TO be
q law. il there is not one already. that
would reach such newspaper. The
Republicans advocacy OF q law TO
squelch a free press is just exactly on
a par with the spirit of Prohibition.
The men who are running the Prohihi-
ton crusade in this city believe just as
does the editor Of the Republican, and
if they had the power they would not
| only crush the Eagle but send its
editor to the stake. Their fanatlcal
| intolerance in being pitiful, would be
| dangerous were it not restrained. II
a majority of the next legislature
should prove of the stripe of the editor
of the Republican and Of the type OF
| the men who are trying to crush the
| life out of Wichita through these pros
| ecutions. no doubt such a law would
be enacted as would practically con-
| fiscate any paper that dared TO raise
its voice against the hypocritical en-
actment, and Danish its editor from
the state. One Of the instruments,
| selected and relied upon by the author
tiles at Topeka TO make the taxpayers
of Wichita sick" declared, only on
Monday of this week, that they did
not expect by their movement to cur
tail the liquor traffic in Wichita, but
to force a recognition OF 1.-The law" so
far as its open violation is concerned,
and to bankrupt the Eagle, which
could be done only by breaking down
the sentiment sustaining it. That was
pretty talk to come from a man pro-
Tossing love for law and order. His
is the spirit of the editor Of the Pratt
Republican. Another man prominent
in the initial movement, minister of
the gospel in this city, in pronouncing
the Eagle moral cancer, declared that
its editor must go Or he would.
As under the provisions of the Pro-
hibitory law, business houses can be
enjOined, and properties confiscated,
newspapers out OF harmony with the
spirit of Prohibition will probably
come next under the ban OF the law
Breweries that were built in the state
previous to the adoption of the amend
ment were practically confscated and
1aSrrnUad in, at 1n
came a victim, and being reduced to
poverty died of a broken heart, it
was said, leaving a young wife and
children to shift for themselves. OF
course the editor of the Republican
and his ilk will sneer at the suggestion
that brewer could have 4 heart, but
the fact remains that with many men
the pOcketbOok and property, earned
by years Of labor and savings, lie very
close to their hearts.
The Eagle does not in all this ques-
tiOn the sincerity of the editor OF the
Pratt Republican. Not at ALL But
in feeling sorry for his narrowness.
We frankly admit that if the majority
of the people of this state or of this
community We're like him, we wouldn't
take the risk of life, nor stand upon
the order of our going, but would get
out. and with conspicuous alacrity.
We observed that many people are
so constituted that they become attach
ed to the material things of this world,
to their homes and holdings. including
their pocketbookS. We have even
heard it said that men who had dedi-
Gated their lives to the cause of Christ
and to the spiritual welfare Of their
fellow men, have made the size of
their salaries the first conSidera ton.
The people Of Wichita having under
taken no such mission. should not be
judged too harshly for their protest
against a rule which they ail agree is
curtailing their business, decreasing
the price of their property, depreciat
ing the value of their homes. increas-
ing their taxes, thereby rendering them
less able TO sustain their churches,
schools and charities. They have no
disposition to fight the authorities or
to defy the laws of the state or nation.
nor 20 encourage drinking. The Pro
hbitory enactment not being enforced
true spirit, and being impossible of
enforcement here except in a make
believe, perfunctory hypocritical in
complete and neglected manner, and
only then at great expense. they pro-
test against being set upon by hounds
TO be made an example of, that the
balance of the state may be benefited
by the vicariOuS sacrifice. The Eagles
only offenSe is in standing 10y this peo-
pie in this conviction. Ii will continue
TO do so until it is dynamited or other
wise destroyed and Silenced by the
power of such 4 proScriptive enact
ment, or law of the state. as suggested
by the editor of the Pratt Republican
Morrill, would. no doubt. sign such a
law, Dawes would hold it TO be CON
Stitutional. and the fanatic Lieurance.
his coadjutorS and assistant attorney
generals would delight III enforcing it,
while such papers as the Republican
would applaud.
Wichita has not the sympathy of the
state IN anything. 1t never had. 1t
has not the good viii or aid of the great
corporations of the state. 1t never
had. Ii is struggling against the envy
and i'll Will of the political power of the